KNEEtalk

Hello all. I have not had the surgery yet but wanted to get the thread started. My surgery is tomorrow and I'm scared but ready.

My right knee has been giving me fits for many years, but got really bad in 2002. I had arthroscopy with LR October 30, 2002. It didn't fix it. I had the rooster juice series, not just the Hyalgen but the Synvisc also. I've had several cortisones shots. I've had it drained. I've done PT. My quality of life has just gone south since 2002. Nothing and I mean NOTHING has given me ANY relief. Pain pills don't even help.

I have grade 4 chondromalacia, maltracking patella, bone on bone grinding and constant dislocations. The thing "gives out" all of the time, is EXTREMELY unstable, the works. It doesn't just give frontwards, it gives wobbles sideways as well, it is, for lack of a better term, loose.

So, after visiting many different ortho surgeons, I found one who said that I was an ideal candidate (except for age, I'm 33) for the PFR. He said that my knee met every criteria and there was nothing holding him back except letting me know the pros and cons and making sure I was committed to quitting smoking and losing weight.

I did quit smoking that day, Nov. 12. I have lost 14 pounds since then as well. I am 5'8" tall with medium bone structure, and on Nov. 12 I weighed 204 lbs. This morning, Dec. 27th, 2004, I weighed 190 lbs. Two years ago I was 150 lbs, but with this knee, I've been rather sedentary and ended up gaining over fifty pounds. I hope this surgery gets me back in motion!

I'll post as soon as I can after the surgery. I will be in the hospital for a few days and I'm sure that I won't feel much like sitting at the desk when I get home, but maybe I can use my hubby's laptop. At any rate, as soon as possible, I'll post.

Thanks for the support I've received in my postings under patello-femoral joint and for the suggestion of posting here.

My hubby brought his laptop up here for me so I could let ya'll know how I am doing and let off some steam.

The surgery went off without a hitch. Dr. Bryant said that everything looks good and he expects me to do very well and feel MUCH better once I'm through with this stretch of it.

He said the patella was just plain worn out. He told the hubby and I today that it was 70% - 80% gone. Said the rest of the knee looked really good so he has high expectations. He seemed rather proud of himself..lolThis was his very first PFJR.

Now for the bad stuff... Before surgery they asked me if I wanted an epidural or a block in my leg. I asked for an epidural because I've had so many and knew what to expect. Well, they did something called "intrathecal narcotics" and it did NOT work AT ALL. I've been absolutely miserable. I've had four babies and if you add up all 69 hours of labor plus birthing the biggest head you've ever seen on a baby, it STILL couldn't equal this.

So, I'm lying here in excruciating pain, trying to be a big brave girl when my night nurse comes in last night and decides to change my ice packs. The end was not put on one of them so the whole thing full of icy water dumped in between my legs and SOAKED me and my bed. So, then they are rolling me back and forth and jerking the doggone bed around trying to get the sheets changed. Both the aid and the nurse bumped my knee so many times I couldn't count. I couldn't catch my breath because for one, I was frozen from the waist down and two I was in pain HELL.

So, I was up almost all night in excruciating pain...Today at noon the PTs asked if I'd like to go to the dining room and have lunch with the other kneesies, so, being the trooper, I said I'd like to go. Well, they bring the wheelchair in here and fumble around trying to get me in my jammies with my catheter, then bump me at least a half dozen times while trying to situate the wheelchair in such a way I could get into it. THEN the leg rest was SUPPOSED to come up....well..after much wrestling, jerking and yanking, they decide that it's not going to work, so they stick a bunch of pillows between my leg and the leg rest that won't come up, trying to prop it up. They proceed to roll me to the dining room over thresholds that felt more like speed bumps. While in the dining room, my "neighbor" asks me how I'm doing. HA! I told him some of the stuff they've put me through then ask him what he had done..well, of course it was a TKR, same surgeon, after my surgery. He has no catheter, he walked in there with a walker, is sitting in a real chair with just a pillow under his foot on the floor. He had a PCA pump, I couldn't get one. He had the leg block which is what I SHOULDA got. He even had actually been allowed to SLEEP.

That's another thing...the nurses keep telling me to try and get some rest, but as soon as I nod off they wake me up. Needless to say, I'm not in the best of spirits...spirits? yeah, someone please bring me the strongest friggin shot of whiskey you can find.

The string of murphy's incidents has continued since lunch today, I'm convinced it isn't going to stop any time soon and I'm in so much pain I c an't think straight.

I'm being moved from the hospital to an inpatient rehab center some time tomorrow. I'll be there four or five days, then after I get home I'll have a nurse come in 2-3 times a week for 2-3 weeks. Then I'll go to outpatient PT.

Oh my God Elizabeth! I can't believe what you have been thru in the past 24 hours. Are you in a hospital in Norman? I had some crappy care during my stay but nothing like you are having. Are you getting shots for the pain? I had morphine shots for the first probably 36 hours then they went to pain pills. I didn't have a cath...wish I would have because when you pee in those bedpans it just runs down your back and gets all over the bed anyhow. At least that is WARM and not ice water. I am afraid I would have totally lost it over that incident.Keep your pecker up my friend. It can only get better from here. Post when you can and we will ALL pray for you! I'll even have a big shot of whiskey in your honor!Sheila

I second Sheila's comments--get some appropriate pain management! The guy you saw is more like what you are supposed to be doing after joint replacement--getting pain relief! And doing stuff like walking with a walker. If you are in so much pain that you can't move, you certainly aren't going to heal well. I don't understand why they aren't addressing your pain--you've got to tell them that your pain is a 10 out of 10 and page the anesthesiologist if necessary. You've got to get that knee moving ASAP. If a pain pump is what's needed, then demand one. If your insurance won't pay, ask how much their 'cash or self-pay' price is--then decide if it's worth it.

At the very least you should be getting morphine and toradol injections, for crying out loud. They offered them to me every two hours when I was last in the hospital, and after my appendix surgery I was on a self-administered morphine pump.

I hope you get some relief soon. Nobody gets a prize for white-knuckling it through the pain, and many studies show that you are doing yourself no favors by just sucking it up. Pain uses up brain chemicals (serotonin, for example), can cause your muscles to shut down, interferes with sleep, and so forth.

You are unbelievable! :D I can't believe you posted in the situation you are in! It sounds like the surgery was good but the after care isn't so shiny! I can't believe you didn't have a femoral catheter. That is standard here in Montana for TKR's and this should be treated as such. No CPM, huh? That's weird too, IMHO.

I'll bet that cold water made your ovaries slam shut!! The one thing I'll say about child birth is that it is at least OVER when it's over. That stupid interthecal did nothing for that pain. I can only imagine how ineffective it was for this!

Hang in there, Baby! I agree with Heather and demand that they drug you silly for the next 48 hours. ;D Things should settle down after that a little. I hope the rehab facility has a better handle on this stuff!

Take care and draw strength from the rest of us...I know we are all sending you anything extra that we aren't using at the time. ;)

Well, it's Thursday, Dec. 30 and today is a whole new day. I'm still in pain, but it's tolerable with all the meds they have me on now. The only problem is that now I'm bloated...if you know what I mean...from the narcotics.

I'm taking 20 mg of oxycontin in the morning and 20 mg at night. Two 10 mg percocets every 3 hours and every four hours I get a phenergan tablet.

Dr. Bryant's nurse came and took out my drainage tubes today...OUCH! But I'm relieved to have them out.

I'm being moved some time this afternoon to Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Center. I'll be there 4-5 days. I sure am looking forward to getting up and around on my new knee! I know it won't be a piece of cake, but it'll be worth it. Just remind me that I said that when I start complaining about the torture! :-)

The incision is only about 4 inches long, I was expecting a much longer, uglier one. :-) I'm happy with it like this. I think it's gonna heal up nice and pretty..for a scar anyway.

Vicki (Dr. Bryant's nurse) told me this morning that my blood count is good, so I don't need a transplant...it's about time I get some good news!

I get to take a shower tomorrow..another plus! I guess today is going to be a better day...knock on wood.

Although you are in pain seems that the worst part is over now. Sorry that you didn't get the painrelief you needed, but be sure you get what you need so you can go on with your rehab and not get to much pain.Hope your recovery goes well and that you are home very soon. Happy New year !!

I think you're on the other side of the horrible post-op pain now. It should only get better from here. It's good to lose tubes as you go! You know you're getting closer to home when the tubes start coming out.

Do they have you bending it yet? You are probably using a walker by now, right? Hope the move went better than the trip to the mess hall!

I'm glad you are feeling better today! At least you are on THIS side of the surgery and waiting around for it to happen. Onward and forward, soldier!

Let us know what you have been allowed to do. Inquiring minds want to know...

Yes, it's definitely nice to be on THIS side of the surgery. No more anticipation and willies.

I am up on a walker now, getting back and forth to the restroom on my own. I am now in a Rehab hospital. They are going to get my pain under control and help me get to the point of caring for myself.

I can dress myself, socks and all. I can get in and out of bed without assistance, no one to hold my leg but me.

Yes I'm bending it. They measured my ROM just a few minutes ago but I forgot to ask what it was. She was very impressed at how well I'm getting along just two days post-op and with such intense pain. I said, 'yeah, just think what I can do if my pain gets under control!'

I have positively high hopes. I know I'm going to truck through this just fine and I can't wait to go bicycle riding with my children!!! (just what makes that little ol ant, think he can move that rubber tree plant, everyone knows an ant can't...oops there goes another rubber tree, oops there goes another rubber tree, oops there goes another rubber tree plant...kerrrsplat!! cuz he's got, highh hopes, he's got, highhh hopes, high apple pie in the skyyy hopes...) couldn't help it...LOL I'm on alot of dope and I'm happy to be getting better!!! ;D

The narcotics are having one very irritatingly bad effect on me....I'm bloated something fierce. My tummy is sooo tight and looks like I'm 7 months pregnant!

I've lost two more pounds, down to 188.7 lbs. Don't know how that happened...they've been feeding me like a pig!!

Well, I'm getting drowsy again..darned pills...oh well, at least my pain level is down to a four again.

Sounds like you are doing super! (Except for that little thing called PAIN!) ;) That is great that you are bending and walking. Wonderful attitude, too! Keep it up and you'll be hopping around in no time. I am very happy for you!

I'll post more tomorrow. I hope you sleep well and can get over your "bloat" very soon! ;D

Sooner Beth....I am so glad you are feeling better. I'm sure that getting to the rehab area and being able to be up and about is a big relief. I know when I was able to take that first shower I felt tons better....smelled alot better as well! EAch day will bring something new for you. Some days will be great and others not so great. Don't get down on the not so great days. I'm almost 3 months post op and I still have rotten days. But the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer all the time! What is your ROM? Don't forget to ask so you can let us know! Mine was pretty poor initially and had to stay an additional day in the hospital. Work hard so you don't have to do that as well! I like the idea of the rehab hospital tho...makes so much more sense.

Well, have a great New Years! I'll be sure to have a few drinks for you tonight. But aren't those drugs great?

I typed up what all I did today twice before and got knocked off...this is the third time I've had to start over, so I'm going to make it short.

Today was my first official PT/OT day. I showed those OT people that I can do all of the activities of daily living (adl's) by myself, shoes, socks, shower, bathroom, in and out of bed, in and out of clothes, the whole nine yards...completely unassisted. Apparently, I'm wayy ahead of schedule for that.

PT consisted of walking ALOT with the walker, showing the first therapist that I was working on a "normal" gait, he said I was doing very well. Localized quad strengthening exercises, straight leg lifts (yeah right) with the assistance of my other foot ;) , stepped up on a platform two steps, down a ramp, up the ramp and back down the steps...with walker, staircase up and down with hand rails, glute squeezes and heel slides. Needless to say, I'm WORN OUT and in P - A - I - N.

I took my shower this morning completely unassisted and boy howdy, did that feel good!

My ROM is 56..is that good for the third day? I have more of a problem straightening than bending. I have over 20 staples in a four inch incision...looks like he just went nuts with that staple gun! lol

I've had to educate everyone I've come in contact with here about the PFR. My husband brought the brochure up here today so everyone could get a peek at it.

Well, I'm gonna put this thing up and finish watching Regis on the New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Well, I for one think that 56 d. is unbelievable! What a great job and it is obvious that you are working this thing like a dog! Full extension is kind of hard, but something else that needs to be worked on. I wouldn't worry about it as you are still so close to the surgery, but don't get too hooked up on ROM and forget about full extension. Ask your PT's about it and do some exercises for that. They are easier exercises than the others so it shouldn't cause you any problems. I'm sure it will come along as the swelling goes down, but I'd keep my eye on it for now.

You are doing fantastic, Elizabeth! Keep up the good work and I think the pain will decrease soon. Those stool softeners work like "steroids for the stool" on me! After I had my son, I think THAT was every bit as bad as giving birth! ;D

I'm a little late posting today because I was up allll night last night with severe muscle spasms in my leg. I told the pain management (so called) doctor yesterday that the Flexeril wasn't working for the spasms and he thought I wanted it increased. I explained to him that when I say something isn't working, that doesn't mean I want MORE it means I want SOMETHING ELSE. He told me that I needed to give it time to work, well, I gave it all night. This morning he switched me to Valium 10 mg every 6 hrs. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Didn't go to therapy today because of not having any sleep at all last night and being in so much pain. They came to my room and woke me of 5 times though, SHEESH! I told them every time that I'm not just lying in the bed and keeping my leg immobilized. I do get up about every 15 minutes to go to the bathroom, I do exercises with it right here in bed and I sit in a chair and do them too. If I don't it gets stiff and I'm miserable. I don't think they believed me, finally one came in and I showed her exactly what I've been doing and had her measure my ROM....it was 72! I jumped from 56 to 72 in one day and WITHOUT going down to PT! I guess they think that if they don't SEE it then it ain't being done. ARGH! I cannot WAIT to go HOME! I HATE it here! My pain management doctor is LOUD and will NOT listen to me, he does the talking and I do the cringing. I told my husband that I feel like Dr. Smith is talking AT me instead of WITH or even TO me. I wish MY doctor was here to help me with this stuff. I can't WAIT to tell him what I think of Dr. Smith. He even smarted off to me today. He said in a rather smart-ass tone, "Was it worth it?" My husband answered him and said, "well, it may be bad right now, but she'll be glad she went through it when she gets through this part of it." I agreed with my husband. This doctor is more than likely one of those doubters who thinks it was stupid of me at my age to have a major surgery like this.

I don't really have much else to post because with a knock-out drug every six hours and a night of no sleep, I slept most of the day. I do know that I have next to NO appetite. My mother thinks it is because I have the blues from being homesick. I think it's just cuz I HATE this place and the food isn't fit for stray dogs.

I did have an awesome nurse last night named Michelle. She was so sweet, patient, kind, and caring. She made every effort to make me as comfortable as possible and always speaks to me with a soft voice and caring tone.Then today I had another nurse, Susan, who was the same. Very caring and concerned. She encouraged me to let the Valium do it's thing and sleep it off. She peeked in at me frequently and when I was awake she made sure I was as comfortable as possible and making sure I didn't need anything.Now, tonight I have yet another nurse of the same breed, Amanda. Like Susan and Michelle, she's right on time with my meds, making sure I'm as comfy as possible expresses concern and speaks softly. That is SOOOOOO appreciated since my nerves are SHOT.

As you can probably tell, I don't like to be away from home. ;D

Hope you all had a happy and memorable New Year's Eve. Mine was memorable for sure, but certainly not happy. My hubby promised to make up for it next year though. Bless his heart, he stayed up with me all night last night trying to help me. He's now asleep on a roll-away bed they brought in for him today.

To make matters worse for me, I missed my baby girl's 8th birthday Dec. 30. I can't believe my baby is 8 years old! I think I can understand better how my mom feels, the older I get. (I'm her only living child.)

I'm going to wean off the oxycontin early in the week and hopefully take it down to just one 10/500 percocet every 4 hours. That should help my tummy problem considerably. Except for the swelling and muscle spasms, my pain is doing much better.

I can't lift my heel off of a flat surface yet, but I can bend my knee up and slide my heel in. I think I'm doing rather well and am well on my road to a speedy recovery.

Well, it's now 12:15 am Sunday and I suppose I should kick back and let this Valium take me to dreamland. I have PT bright and early and I'm looking forward to it! :)

Thanks for all of your support and well wishes!!! It is greatly needed. You wouldn't believe how much I draw from my kneebuddies!!!! This has proven to be a very important part of my recovery.

See ya tomorrow..or should I say later today...!! LOL

Elizabeth

I forgot to tell you that I can now straighten my leg. I just sit in the bed with my leg extended, toes pointed toward the ceiling, and let it relax all the way down. It was difficult to get the back of my knee all the way down at first, but now it's no task at all. It is a little harder when I'm walking though, because as soon as I stand up the swelling kicks in and it won't straighten. Oh well, gotta start somewhere, and at least I know it WILL straighten and it's not locked out like I was worried it was.

You are doing great! Maybe working from your bed is better for now. Don't get me wrong, you are doing the right thing by pushing a little, but just remember that you JUST had a MAJOR surgery! You shouldn't bound out of bed and declare, "OK. All fixed now!". Take it a little easy and don't expect too much from yourself or your new knee right away. You won't gain anything by wearing it out in a week! ;D Besides, if you can get the pain under control (which I kinda think may be happening because you're doing too much ???), you will get to go home sooner.

72 d. is awesome! It's also good news that the full extension is there. I had to work on that some and working it non-weight bearing is fine. Your WB extension will come when the swelling goes down. The straight leg raise (SLR) will come in time. I would just lay there and look at the thing as if to will it to rise off the floor! Eventually it did and now I strap weights to the leg and do them every morning. It's amazing that at one time, it didn't want to work.

Sorry your PM doc is a smarty with no real people skills! Usually that distinction is reserved for the OS crowd! LOL (My OS was great, but it didn't take me long to figure out why he isn't married! Communication skills are veeeeery important!)

Leta,I have found great motivation and solace in yours and Sheila's postings in particular. (Not that I don't appreciate everyone else's too! Please keep em coming!) Knowing that you two have gone through this just recently helps me tremendously. I will take all the advice I can get and thank you so much for the encouragement!!!

I am now going over 5 hours without needing pain meds. My (no people skills) PM doctor was here this morning and actually told me that I looked better and he was actually proud of my progress! I guess I made him eat crow, :P... ;D

I'm sitting here anxiously waiting for my pain meds to kick in so I can go downstairs and strut my stuff in PT. I straightened up my room and made my bed a few minutes ago...two cups of coffee gave me the wiggles...

PM doctor also prescribed Lasix this morning because I'm retaining alot of fluid. Can't wait to get it, it'll certainly help with the swelling and bloat. He also said that my knee looks great and appears to be healing beautifully. (I wish someone besides me would tell him that he talks at like 100 decibals!)

Have I mentioned that the food in this place sucks? Well, in case I didn't... THE FOOD IN THIS PLACE SUCKS!!! blecckkk! patooey patooey patooey!

My husband is picking my kids up from their dad's today and bringing them up here to see me. I CAN'T WAIT! I miss them soooo much. (Thing is..I'll get my fill of 'em in about 15 minutes..lol)

I know I may be pushing a little too hard. But I've been so sedentary for sooo long that now I can't wait to get movin' movin' movin'! Plus, I gotta show these people what the Collins/Carmin/Parks folks are made of!!!Besides that, I want them to give a brilliant report to my OS!!! I want him to know that I come from good strong stock and he can be comfortable with having done this.

Leta and Sheila, could ya'll please let me know how your knees are doing and how many weeks/months you are out from the operation? What kind of progress have each of you made? What are you able to do now? What is your ROM? etc?

You are too funny. Patooey! At least thru all of this you are keeping your sense of humor.

I have one heck of a time with my straight leg raises in the beginning. Like Leta, I laid there and tried to WILL that sucker to rise. It was very frustrating and made me cry cause I couldn't do it for the longest time. Now I don't even have to think about it! I still do alot of strengthening exercises as my quads are non-existent. I ride my exercise bike 15 minutes a day and try to walk on the treadmill as much as I can. I have had a popping in the fatpad area all this time so it is hard for me to walk without limping. It IS getting better but it takes time. Don't get frustrated if things don't always go well. Leta once reminded me that my knee was cut open like a gutted fish and I couldn't expect it to heal over night. She has such a way with words! I am 13 weeks out as of this coming Tuesday. I am doing great according to my OS and I even managed to do a little (very little!) dancing on New Years! My ROM coming home from the hospital was 78. It is now (at least the last time it was measured) 127. I stuck on 116 for almost 2 weeks and then it seemed to bust loose. You will have many hills to get over and you might slide backwards a bit before you top the hill but everything gets better from here. Keep posting and asking any question you think of. As of what I can do now....I can sit down without holding onto the arms of a chair, I can get up off the floor with little or no help, I can walk around Walmart instead of using one of those little motorized carts...

I am sure there is more, but hubby is telling me it's time to go out for lunch! Hope you have a great day and get out of that hellhole quickly!

Keep the good work going !! I know how it is staying at hospital over bigger holidays, not fun, but what can you do. Yes, you can keep the good work going and I'm sure you're home soon. My longest stay at hospital were 4 months, was only home for an afternoon and one night.I can sure tell that food at home first time after these months tasted good !!Take care !!

You are doing great and no one is EVER going to question your stock! :D You have hit this thing head-on and your progress is remarkable. Do you think your little "rest" yesterday has something to do with the fact that you are cutting back on the pain meds? You sound like you are moving around just fine and will be home very soon. On the water issue, if you were pumped fluids during the op, plus constipated, I'm sure your cells are sloshy! The Lasix will help for sure. At least it helps race horse! ;D

I am 6.5 months past mine. It's hard to judge where I am progress wise as I also had the TTT along with the PFR and the TTT was far and away the nastier of the two! Along with the new joint, my knee is trying to get used to the rearrangement of everything in addition to the two huge screws in my shin. As for ROM, I am now at full range and full extension. I was 50 when I left the hospital and 90 when I went for my 2 week follow-up. My bone pain is gone from the knee cap and femur, but the shin still aches (from the TTT). Not bad though. I haven't taken a pain pill since 3 weeks post-op so I guess I can't complain. I can now walk, swim, lift weights, ride a stationary bike (7-9 miles/day), I can feed my horses, do pilates, and I cooked Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. The holidays this year were 100% better than they were last year! I am normally a very happy, positive person, but before my surgery, I spent more time crying than I did laughing. Since my surgery, I have only cried twice: at my grandma's funeral and everytime I read a sad story in "Chicken Soup for the Horselover's Soul"! Those are things I would have cried about anyway. ;D

Like I said, the TTT was worse than the PFR since I was NWB for 6 weeks and partial for 6 more. The stuff I am dealing with now is all soft tissue stuff and it gets better all the time. The one thing I learned for sure is that muscle goes away faster than it returns. I would do this again if I had to decide knowing now what I know, despite the long rehab. My quality of life is much better. I may never downhill ski again, but I plan to crosscountry ski this winter and who knows, if I continue to improve, I may yet be able to ski "groomers"!

Stay the course, my friend! Don't push too hard and like Sheila said, there will be hills and valleys. As long as you can see steady (not constant!) improvement, you'll know it's all good!

I went to morning and afternoon therapy today. Morning therapy consisted of straight leg lift (attempts), heel slides, quad sets and riding a stationary bike that has the peddles out in front instead of down below..pretty cool. I really liked it. He started the resistance at 0 and worked it up to 10(max) and I did marvelously! I also walked around with my own walker, four wheels, hand brakes and a seat..nice little bugger. It even has a basket for me to carry stuff! lol

After he wore me out this morning, he brought me back to my room for lunch, nap and pain pills, then picked me back up this afternoon for some more torture. ;)

Second round consisted of using the Total Gym....have you seen them on tv? It's an infomercial with Chuck Norris and I think Christie Brinkley. I laid on my back on a sliding mechanism and pushed my weight up and down with my back. The way to increase the resistance is to raise the slide thingie. I did that for about 20 minutes and was about to die when I was finished. Then he had me sit on my walker and use my right leg to push myself around. I think holding my left leg up was more tiresome than pushing myself with my right! Then I walked around the gym with my walker and since I was in so much pain, on up to my room. He brought me two ice packs, one for bottom and one for top.

Good nurse Susan brought me my valium and some fresh tea and told me to rest. I'm groggy as all get out, but I really want to stay awake, so here I am posting again.

Yes, Sheila, I really do think that resting all day yesterday is what got me over the hump and got me motivated today. I felt well rested and was rearing to go. It is soooo much easier to cope with pain when you've had plenty of rest!

Thank God for my husband. He's been johnny on the spot with stuff I need from the house and even brought me fish from Long John Silvers last night when I told him that my food wasn't fit for a stray dog. He also brought me a fresh fruit tray and a bag of Lay's plain potato chips, which, even though they are my favorite, I could only seem to stomach about 5 chips. Too greasy..like the LJS. He took my PJ's home and washed them and brought them back smelling like Suavitel (fabric softener) and that gave me a little bit of "home". He also spent the night up here on a roll-away bed, one more comfort of home, listening to him snore..lol I really do miss it when we're apart. But I sure do like to give him a hard time about that snoring! ;D

I'm sitting here anxiously awaiting the arrival of my kids. My baby girl had her 8th birthday while I've been here and I haven't seen her. I gotta see if she looks like she turned a year older.. ;) She thinks she does.

Have I mentioned that I'm a little dopey? So, if I chatter on or am redundant, please forgive me. :-[

I see that no one replied to my January 2 posting. Was it that boring? lol

January 3, 2005. Dr. Smith came in this morning and said I could stay til Tuesday or Wednesday or go home today. I wish I could have seen the expression on my own face when he said that! I asked him what he thought was best and he said that it was completely up to me, but that my therapists all said that I was doing very well and he was prepared to let me go home today if I wanted to go. I told him to sign the papers and let me out!

That was at about eight this morning. I was still there at noon. ARGH!!! Hurry up and wait. Geez I hate that! I did finally get turned loose shortly after noon though and nobody could be happier. I slept in the car all of the way home, then for over 3 hours after I got home. Being in the hospital can sure wear a person out!!!

I start outpatient PT tomorrow and am looking forward to it. I'll be getting it three times a week and doing it myself at home the rest of the time. I told my husband I need to get a journal from Wal-Mart and keep up with what exercises I do and how well I do them and also take my journal with me to O/P P/T and have them write in there what I did there, how well, and what my ROM is on those days. I want full documentation from start to finish on this thing so I can possibly open doors for others like me. Dr. Bryant (my OS) and his nurse Vicki told me to make them proud and that is just what I intend to do. (And of course, there's my folks who expect me to make them look good...lol)

I've been feeling a bit sick on my stomach today, so I haven't felt like doing much since I've been home, though I have been to the bathroom at least two dozen times. This Lasix is really working!

My husband rearranged my room to make it easier for me to get around and I LOVE it! Bless his heart, he's trying to make this as easy on me as possible.

Well, I'm sitting here about to fall asleep with my hands on the laptop keyboard, I guess that means good night.

Ya'll take care and let me know what's going on in your neck of the woods!

I'm glad you are home finally! I'll bet you are catching up on your sleep after being woken up dozens of times every night. I was only in the hospital two nights and I think I slept off and on for three days after I got home. Also in the beginning, just going to PT for an hour was like running a marathon! It will get better.

I had a journal too. It really helps to look back and see how far you've come. I still refer to it sometimes.

I had my final OS appointment today. I have officially been released. He did say that we could CT the other knee and see what's going on with that. It's been pretty sore through out this ordeal. I might just do that later this spring.

Bless the good husbands of the world! I have one too and I don't know how I would have managed without him!

Let us know how your PT goes and what you are doing at home. How's the SLR going? Have you managed one yet?

Congratulations on getting released Leta! Good luck with your other bad knee!

Yeah, my husband has sure been quite the helper. There are times when I'm ready to slap a knot on his head the size of Texas, but over all he's a great husband and I'm thankful for what I have.

I hear you on the sleeping for three days after you got home from the hospital! Seems like that's all I do is sleep now. I'm trying to watch the orange bowl right now and can barely stay awake, even though I was asleep for 2 and a half hours before it came on!

My 13 year old daughter made roast, mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables for supper and even fixed me a plate and brought it to me. I was about to cry. It was GOOOOD and this was her very first time to cook a meal!! My mom walked her through it on the phone while I slept. Cadey woke me up with the plate of food, then brought me a glass of Pepsi, salt and pepper and a napkin. What a sweetie pie!! I told her that I'd tell her home-ec teacher what she did and maybe she'll get some extra points.

I went to my first outpatient PT today. My guy's name is Robert. He's VERY nice and helpful...not to mention he's such a cutie! He had me do calf and hamstring stretches and told me to do them 10x each 10x per day. He said I have very muscular calves and I should truck right along through this. I will be seeing him 3x per week for now and eventually it will taper off. He measured my ROM... I'm so happy! .. 0 d. - 85 d. !!!!! Can't beat that for one week out!!! (Oh, and that 85 d. is unassisted. I bend it that far under it's own strength, no help from my other leg or by pulling it with my hands.

I had a bit of a rough night last night. I have one of those expensive (NASA) foam top beds that conforms to the body....well, the downside to that is...I can't pull myself out of the conformed spot in order to resituate my leg. UGH!

Here I am asleep at the keyboard again...

I gotta wake up and watch my Sooners. Looks like my guy Mark Bradley just screwed up and gave USC a TD. In the famous words of Charlie Brown, "goood grief".

Elizabeth--I've been watching your progress. Leta put me on to it. I'm facing pfr, eventually in both knees. Right now, I'm doing rooster juice to buy a little time.

Even though you've had a really rough time, you seem to be making great strides (strides!!). You're an inspiration.

What part of the country are you in? I think you said this was the first pfr for your OS? Mine hasn't done it yet either and I've been chicken about being first in line. Also, my house has a lot of stairs. Bedrooms and full baths are upstairs. So I'm worried about navigating after the op. Any insight on this?

What can I say Elizabeth! It's all good!! You've got help, great ROM, and a cute PT. Lucky duck! I had the cute OS that I only got to see a couple of times and most of that time I was under! I'd trade you if I could. ;)

The calf muscle is very important. Mine hung like a chunk of dead meat after I got the post-op brace off (Which was 12 weeks post-op). That will make a ton of difference for you. Muscle goes away much faster than it comes back and I have been really working it to get it back. I'm still not there yet, but it's coming.

Glad all is well and hope you have a better night tonight. Sorry about your Sooners! They got popped like a bad Trojan... ;D

Ha, Ha on the Trojan remark. Have no idea where Sheila is, would like to know myself. My Sooners played like a bunch of Mighty Mite football players, ARGH!! I hang my head in shame. :'(

My calf muscle and my hamstring are both doing very well. Just my quad sucks. Went to PT today. Did calf and ham stretches, heel slides and heel slides on a ball. Then he hooked my quad up to some kind of electric shock stimulation machine (can't think of the name of it) while they are icing my knee. My ROM today was 0 d. to 88 d. MAHHHHHVAHLUSSS I tell ya, just mahvahlus!

I have slept all afternoon and can't seem to stay awake. I am just sooooo tired!!!!

Nancy,

I'm in Oklahoma. Norman, Oklahoma to be exact. But my OS is in NW OKC.

Hyalgan and Synvisc did nothing for me, I hope they work for you. I've heard of alot of people who actually benefitted from them. Thing is, my kneecap was so far gone that NOTHING could help me except this surgery.

As far as stairs. I can navigate stairs provided there are sturdy handrails on both sides for me to hold on to and hoist myself up. As far as tubs go, there is a thing called a "tub transfer bench" which makes it very easy to get in and out of the tub. I have one. You might also look into getting a raised toilet seat with handles, it makes it a hundred times easier to get on and off of the toilet.

And thank you for the vote of confidence! I wouldn't necessarily call what I'm doing "strides", but I'm getting there! :)

Good luck with yours and make sure and keep us posted!

Elizabeth

I'm very proud and thankful for the progress I've made, but I will say this...it isn't without lots and lots of pain. Don't let me lead anyone astray with my positive postings. This is no magic carpet ride! The pain is like nothing else I've experienced and there are many times when I try to get up that I just can't do it because it just hurts way too much. Yeah, I'm on the pain meds, but they won't last forever and they don't cover 100% of the pain 100% of the time. If you are considering having this done, remember, you are having a prosthetic joint put in your knee and having parts of your God-given knee cut, sawed and ground. This is not something for those who cannot tolerate pain at it's worst. And remember this also, eventually, this will have to be converted to a total knee replacement which is even MORE pain and rehab. There was alot of thought and planning and research that went into the final decision to have this done. I don't regret doing it because my OS said that my kneecap was absolutely shot and HE didn't regret doing it. Just whatever you do, don't take it lightly or think of it as a means to an end, because it may not be.

Not trying to discourage anyone from having it, just making sure you all give it alot of thought and research it thoroughly and weigh the pros and cons at least a hundred times before going for it. Be prepared for the PAIN and discomfort. And good luck!

Anyone in the Oklahoma City area should look up Dr. Charles E. Bryant on NW 56th. He's an awesome OS. He's a personable, caring, concerned, intelligent, talented doctor. He's also not afraid to listen to the patient. I've been to so many who think they are God and if they don't think it, it ain't so. He had never done one of these before, but was curious about them and had ordered various brochures (which is how I got his name..long story) and I wrote him a letter telling him my plight and he saw me once and after seeing the x-rays was ready to do it. Of course, I told him that I was willing to be the first....I'm sure that helped. Most people aren't willing to be someone's guinea pig. But I had gone throught soooo much over the past two years I was ready to try just about anything. At any rate, he's a well known, well liked OS and I'd trust him with any one of my closest friends or relatives. (Heck, I trusted him with me!) I will say this, if you smoke, QUIT. He won't help you if you aren't willing to help yourself.

Time to tinkle. Lasix is on the job! lol Ya'll take care and find Sheila!

I ditto what you said about not taking this surgery lightly. Most of us will probably end up with a TKR at some point, but better later than now. There is much less bone ressection with the PFR than with a TKR, so revisions are easier. I would rather have less bone taken now then lots of bone taken later...and again later...and again later. Maybe there will be a kinder, gentler TKR out there when our time comes.

I am sorry that you couldn't get a femoral catheter though. I can honestly say that I had very little severe pain with my PFR and TTT. I actually had more post-op pain with my arthoscopic LR. The fact that very few have had the PFR may be a reason why anesthesiologists are not quite sure how to deal with it. Mine belongs to a pain clinic group and he treated it like a TKR. I took very few oral meds, even after I left the hospital. The fem cath was the MVP of the surgery! ;D

I would do it again as well. My level of activity is probably about 80% better than it was pre-op. (Even with a TTT at the same time.) In my opinion, it is an option for those who fit the patient profile and hopefully it will be used more in the future.

You are doing well Elizabeth! Your ROM is great and the things you are doing now in PT are wonderful. Your's will be one of those success stories, I am sure.

Thanks for the encouragement Leta. You are a great source of strength for me. As is Sheila...when she's around..lol

I also keep in mind that I'm paving the way for others like me to get the opportunity to have some quality of life before the age of 60. That gives me TONS of motivation. "Just think about the others, Beth. Just think about the others. You can do it. Show 'em it can be done."

It also helps that my OS's nurse encouraged me and gave me a pat on the back and said, "Make us proud Elizabeth, make us proud!" There's also a big possibility that I will be in a commercial for the Joint Replacement Center at Baptist Hospital. I don't think they'll want a wimpie titty baby for a spokesperson!

My soapbox speech earlier was for those that have some pain and want to skip the other options and move on to having this done. I exhausted every option and then some before opting for this. Then I had to find a doctor who would do it, and THAT was the HARD part! :)

Back to my knee, I'm up late tonight because I've got some "popping" going on in there that has me in some pain and quite alot of discomfort. It's (for lack of a better term) wierd.

Well, with the pain meds and muscle relaxers I should be floating pretty soon, so nitey nite all.

good for u elizabeth...been up for 3 days..sleepers and pain meds do not work nor muscle relaxants..see my posts in the spirit section for a laugh...feel like crying..it hurts so much..and no releif..and alone..just gets worse..knee is huge and on fire..hip is out purple and outside the joint..back is semi out and my head is a mess...i'm really glad your op went well and it seems your spirit is intact..

Elizabeth, I think that your soapbox speech is great. I believe that everyone who has knee pain wants something done to relieve their pain, but must do all the other steps first. You have gone through alot and everyone should realize that it is a long road.

I would like to have something done for my knee problems but I certainly want to get the right OS before I ever let anyone cut into me. I have been doing all the PT exercises faithfully since 2001 and plan to continue. My GP is concerned now though as my quads are wasting in my calves and thighs, but I still manage.

My only hope is that someday I will be able to find an OS in another province that will take on a patient from outside their province. We do have our problems in Canada, but I know that with patience there will be someone to handle my maltracking/malaligned knees & legs.

You have done so well and hopefully your pain will ease soon. Take care and have a good day today. ;D

Hey all...I'm NOT lost! Don't have much time to talk, but we had a record ice storm here in Kansas this week. Tom, the dogs and I are staying with my folks for a few days as we have no power and used all our firewood! Electric company is looking at another 3-4 days before they have things up and running. What a mess. Trees are down all over from the ice (3/4 inch).I'll write more when I get back home or have more time!Sounds like you all are doing well!Sheila

When is your surgery scheduled for? What part of the country are you in? What has led you to the point of needing the PFR? What steps have you taken to remedy your problem up until now? Any surgeries? Therapy? Shots? What is your diagnosis? Sorry for the 20 questions, but I don't know your story.

And yes, make sure you burn that phrase into your brain and also make them give you an epidural. You don't want to suffer the pain I had to suffer. It makes you want to just give up.

Take care and keep us updated and informed.

Elizabeth

*Shadehawk,

I'm so sorry to hear about all of your knee woes. Have you had a diagnosis of patello-femoral arthritis? There are specific criteria that must be met before you qualify for PFR. Here is what my brochure says, " The Unicompartmental Patellofemoral Prosthesis is indicated for use in patients with osteoarthritis in the patellofemoral joint, a history of patellar dislocation or patellar fracture, and in patients with failed previous surgery where pain, deformity, or dysfunction persists. Both cruciate ligaments must be intact. The tibiofemoral joints should be well preserved, with an intact meniscus and full thickness of articular cartilage. "

Hope this helps some. And I hope you can find an OS in your country who will do this surgery. Since I know nothing about other country's policies or such, I need to ask, is there any way you can come to the US to get it done?

Elizabeth

*Ronnie,

What's wrong with your knee? Did you have surgery? It sounds awful! I'll be thinking of you and hoping you feel better soon. Could you gimme your story?

I have osteoarthritis in both patellas. My right one is rice krispies. Right now I'm having the rooster juice shots. My OS has never done a pfr. They're rare. Usually people need a TKR. I'm in Westchester county, NY, about 45 minutes north of Manhattan. Surprisingly (to me) there is no OS in NYC who specializes in PFR. So I'm trying to wait it out till they do a few and I see the outcomes.

Julie and Robin have been posting on the "Post-op patellafemeral joint replacement" thread on the post-op diary. They have both had the op. You might be interested in following their progress.

Leta, Sheila and all kneeies!

One question: A number of the kneesies here indicated that once you have a pfr you are looking at a TKR down the road? Is this always true?

Sheila, good to here from you. No ice-skating, please--at least not during the ice storm. Next year you're Dorothy Hammill.

Nancy, from what I hear, OA is in the future for PFR recipents hopefully in the far future. So I guess you might look at a TKR later if you have a PFR. Just hope the rooster juice works for you and buys you alot of time!

I think I'll stay off the ice skates for awhile longer. My knee is feeling really good at this point altho I am still very unsure of it. Not sure how to build my confidence up in it....any suggestions anyone?

Only time Sheila. It takes time for your mind to trust your body. I am gaining confidence slowly, but it is only after all these months. It will come in time and you are probably doing many things that you are not aware of even now. I usually pick something (like a pilates move, or time myself walking somewhere) and try to measure how much easier or faster I can do it. Often, we are making strides, which indicates confidence, and we don't even realize it. Patience, Weed Hopper...good things will come. ;D Sorry to hear about your ice storm woes! At least the knee is good! I'll IM later...

Nancy,

My OS would not have done this surgery if I wasn't aware that I will probably have a TKR down the road. Remember, this is new so I don't think anybody really knows how long it will be, if ever. My OS told me on Tuesday, it may be 8 yrs, 20 yrs, or never. As long as I expect it to someday happen, I won't be disappointed. I, personally am hoping for 10 yrs. Anything more than that is gravy!

Leta, If I could get ten years of activity out of a pfr, it would be worth it. But I guess I'll have to have both knees done. Does your "good bad knee" have OA too?

Have either of you tried a special brace? I see that Fulkerson has one he designed on his website. Just wondering if anyone has tried anything like that. The flexible ones with the patella hole from CVS help some.

I've been seeing a lot of ads for the depuy prosthesis (the partial not the pfr), and they claim it has greater flexibility. Maybe not for the pfr version.

Any word from Robin and Julie?

I managed to get through some shopping (birthday presents for my sister and niece) at Bloomingdale's. I sure can't be a shopaholic with these knees!

I have read the other posts here in the post-op diary. It's just hard to keep up with who's who.

To answer the question if the TKR is definitely down the road for those with PFR. Well, since the PFR is still rather "new", it is unknown, but possibly very likely. Thing is, there is MUCH less bone ressection in a PFR than in a TKR and when you are as young as me, the PFR is the way to go because otherwise it will be TKR after TKR after TKR depending on my lifespan. My OS wanted me totally aware that since this procedure is fairly new, there is no known life expectancy to this prosthesis. He said it could be 5 - 10 - 15 - 20 who knows how many years. There is just nothing to base it on as there is the TKR. I just have to take good care of it, keep my quads strong, exercise regularly, no running, jumping, or doing things that are stressful on the joints. I can dance, (hopefully ride horses), play golf (but I'm no golfer), walk, stair climb, swim, ride bikes, you know, easy on the joints stuff. I'm no rock climber or extreme sportist, I just like to do more than crochet and play on the computer while my butt gets wider and flatter. I'm looking forward to perpetual motion!!!!!

I also have OA in my left knee and the patella is almost as shot as my right one was. The reason for doin the PFR in the right first was because it was hurting more. The chondromalacia in the right was grade four plus and the chondromalacia in the left is grade 3 plus. I am looking at PFR in the left (providing the right one is uberly successful) within the next year or two. (I'm trying to hold it out as lonnnng as possible...long enough for me to forget some of the pain I suffered with this one.) I will say that the left LR did take whereas the right one didn't, which added to the faster deterioration of the right patella.

I have an outpatient PT center I attend three times a week now and my "guy" Rob is not forcing flexion/extension. He's encouraging stretching and strengthening of the calf, hamstring and glutes, which leads to stabilization of the knee and ultimately to a better/stronger knee. I don't have to do SLR's right now, though I did do one accidentally in bed last night...yee haaa!! ;D I have excellent control of my leg/knee and my gait is nearly perfect. (considerin I'm still using a walker..lol) My ROM is awesome. My PT won't measure it again til Monday because he doesn't want me to get discouraged if I don't think it's enough. But he did say that just eyeing it, it was definitely better than Wednesday (which was 88 ). He said my posture is great and my "athletic calves" are really helping me progress quickly.

I'm still on the pain meds, though I don't need as many as before. I'm getting much better and don't feel the need to sleep sleep sleep.

I'm going to spend the weekend with my folks, as my hubby has guard drill and the kids are going to their dad's again. I still need some special care, (especially in the middle of the night) and my mama is very good at taking care of her baby. :)

Ya'll take care. Good luck with those knees. Careful on that ice! I might check in tomorrow on Mom's computer.

Yes, the "other bad knee" has OA too. My left (the PFR knee) has always had a worse maltracking issue, probably the reason for my dislocation when I slipped on the ice. I was primed! My OS said that we could CT the other knee this spring if I want, just to see what's going on in there. I'm not real excited about having a TTT again, so hopefully I can get away with a PFR by itself in that one.

I have tried a myriad of braces. None have worked for me, but that doesn't mean they won't for you. My PT wanted me out of a brace after the post-op brace went bye bye as he thought it best to stabilize the knee without it. I'm glad I did as I tend to become dependent on such things.

My OS uses the DePuy unispacer, but when he was looking at PFR's for me, he said he liked the Avon better. He told me that if the hardware used to put them in is junk, then they won't hold up and that's what he based his decision on.

Julie and Robin both posted on Sheila's page today! It's all good!

Elizabeth,

Your PT would be nuts to force anything with you! At the rate you are going, he has no worries. You shouldn't either. ;D

Isn't it nice to let your Mommy take care of you sometimes? They are good at it, aren't they!

My mommy is the greatest and yes it is nice to have her take care of me sometimes.

What's this talk about braces? I was in one after my right arthroscopy with lateral release and the doggone thing made my knee/quad/calf weak! My OS hasn't offered a brace for this, neither has my PT, and if they did, I probably wouldn't take it because the muscle becomes dependent on that stabilization, then what happens is the muscles don't contract like they should and then they weaken and atrophy down to nothing. I want my strength and the PT is helping me find it. Leta, yours may be different since you had a TTT, I wouldn't know, but I know otherwise that in my opinion, all those braces are good for is nightmares in the long run. We wanna walk!

I just started wearing the TED hose...ugh, what a battle to get those things on. There was a dispute between my OS and the PM doc at Jim Thorpe. My OS wanted me in them and my PM didn't. Well, ultimately my OS won and now I have to wrestle with them. WHAT A PAIN IN THE @#*!!! I thought getting dressed after the surgery was difficult..shoot, it was a cakewalk compared to wrestling with this buggers!

OK. I'm gonna 'splain it to ya this way Lucy...(this is hard to understand in writing, but I am going to attempt to verbally diagram how my PT taught me to put TED hose on).

First off, I cut the toes out of mine down to the top of the ball of my foot. It was like a living petri dish with the little hole they give you. :P Put your arm into the hose, like you are wearing it on your arm instead of your leg. Bend your hand (like making a fist) until you grab where the heal of the sock. (The heal of the sock should be where the heal of your hand is.) Now turn it inside out, still holding onto the heal of the sock. Take your hand out, but leave the foot of the sock on the inside. So now your TED hose is basically inside out, and it folds over the foot part, which is ready to put onto your foot. Slip your foot in and just pull the sock up.

The biggest TED hose mistake is made when women try to put them on like panty hose. It just doesn't work when your knee is the size of your head!

I hope this made sense, as I have tried to 'splain it before and it didn't work. At any rate: yes, they are a pain; I hope this helps!

Oh! I forgot! I agree totally with you about the brace. I had the TROM brace post-op because of the TTT. (Limiting ROM is part of the protocol post-op.) All in all, depending on a brace to move around is probably not good if you are facing surgery. I does nothing for muscle strength and stability. My PT hated the braces I tried and would scold me horribly if he caught me wearing them.

Thank you for the splanation of the putting of of the TED hose, though I figured out a way to get 'em on without cutting off my circulation or going plum nuts..lol I do tend to cuss 'em a little though. :o I can get them off and on now without much of a problem and you are sure right, you can't put them on like pantyhose! I did find out what a handy dandy little pair of things they are today. My knee went from the size of a basketball to the size of a cantaloupe throughout the day, WOW! (Of course, that could have a little bit to do with the 20 mg of Lasix I'm taking a day. But before the TED hose, I was still swelling to the point my staples were pulling.) I can actually bend it beyond 90 now!!! I can't wait to go to therapy with these things on!! Daddy and Mama both told me what a help they'd be if'n I'd just wear them and boy howdy were they ever right!

Oh, and yeah. My ex PT from my first and second knee surgeries scolded me thoroughly for wearing knee braces. They all said that they cause the muscles to become dependent on therefore weakened by those braces. I know in some cases they are necessary, but you won't catch me in one! >:(

News on my knee. I did TWO SLR's today!!!! I was doing my exercises on my mama's couch and Daddy brought me a big coffee can with which to do the rolly knee bend...well, after doing those, I laid my leg flat on the couch and lo and behold, I was able to lift that bugger off of the couch about an inch, held it stable til it reached the couch and then lifted it again!! I was SOOO proud of myself! I thought I'd NEVER be able to do that again and here I go! (Ya'll are gonna get so tired of my bragging, but I just can't help it.) I did most of the exercises that I do in therapy (those that I can do without the equipment only the therapy place has) and made do with other things around the house for some of the equipment..ie the coffee can instead of the ball. I used two kitchen chairs for the parallel bars to do my ham and calf stretches. Mama and Daddy were soooo proud of me and so was I!!! I can't wait to show my OS Monday how well I'm doing. I'm sure he'll be on cloud nine seeing as how this is his very first PFR and he was a bit hesitant because he thought I would be a wimp.

Did I mention to ya'll that I was told that I may be in a commercial for the joint replacement center at Baptist Hospital? I'll keep ya'll updated on that. That's another thing that gave me incentive to work my tail off and get this knee in tip top shape.

I was telling Daddy on the way home from gambling tonight that this new knee is going to be ten times stronger than my other knee. He just said "mmhmm", but I think he agrees. I can already feel the muscles coming in. It's amazing. I'm in so much awe it's not even funny. I never knew things would go so well for me. (Especially after my experience from Hell in the hospitals!!!!) Maybe it actually HELPS that I'm so YOUNG! And that was the reason for the other SIX ortho's NOT doing it!!

I've been getting a bit brave (though maybe a bit stupid) and taking a few steps without my walker. My knee actually can withstand all 188 pounds of me, it just doesn't want to follow through with the step without buckling, but it's getting there!

I wouldn't be able to do this without the support of my knee buddies. Ya'll are a HUGE help to me and I could never thank you enough!!!!!! :-* :-* :-*

You'll never know how much the "cheering on" from ya'll helps me and keeps me motivated. I just can't wait to tell you all my accomplishments!!!

Well, it's 3:44 am I suppose I should hit the hay. I'm going home tomorrow. If I don't post in the morning, I'll surely post tomorrow evening, you know I just can't wait to post my daily accomplishments! :)

Wow! ;D--you are making amazing progress, especially such a short time after surgery. I'm a lot older than you. On the one hand, I had a long time when my knees were pretty good, but recovering at 61 will likely be harder.

Thanks for all the advice about physical things like the tub transfer chair, etc. As for the braces, I only wear a flexible one (like basketball players wear) when I have to walk a lot somewhere. They help me feel more stable. Lately, I'm afraid I'm going to fall when my knees suddenly catch or go unstable. Then there's the ice and snow.

You can brag all you want! Isn't that the best feeling when you can finally raise that leg by itself?? I know what you are saying about thinking you will never be able to do it again. Pretty soon you'll be doing it all the time. Even now, sometimes when I get into bed, I smile when I think back on how my poor husband would have to lift it in for me. That is a huge accomplishment!

I hope you get your 30 seconds of fame! You deserve it! ;D

Yup, as nasty as the TED hose are, they do serve a purpose and do the trick. I was wearing them in July, so it was hard for me to appreciate their worth!

There are some major advantages to being young in this case. Recovery is always easier. Unfortunately, most of us are older when we need orthopedic surgery. :(

Take care all! I had to watch my hubby and son leave for the ski hill without me today. It was kind of sad, so I'm glad I have you guys to chat with!

Leta--that's a bummer about watching your family go off on the ski trip. :( I've had to beg off on trips into Manhattan to theater etc. myself. All those stairs at Grand Central and walking on city streets dodging taxis. But I've learned to enjoy a bit of time to myself--though I'd much rather be able to join the fray.

Well, I went to my post-op appointment today and got my staples out. Doc was really pleased with my flexion/extension and gait as well as what the x-rays looked like. The incision healed up really nicely and is only a little over 4 inches long.

Vicki (the nurse) was really proud of what all I told her I was getting accomplished in therapy and she said, "well you have to do good if you want others to be able to have this done!" I agreed and said that that's why I'm working so hard!

Doctor is trying to wean me off the pain meds. He didn't want to give me any oxycontin, but I told him that I do so much better with them and that I'll work my ass off in therapy as long as I'm getting the pain management I need, so he grinned and agreed to give me a few more oxycontin and percocet, then he's taking me down to Lortab, which is fine by me as long as by then my pain is manageable by Lortab. Which I'm sure, by then, it will be. He wrote me another script for therapy. I get 3 more weeks at 3 per week. I'm hoping by then I'll be jumping hurdles ;) .

Good deal! You'll probably be doing all the things you can in PT by then and won't need to go. Maybe they'll let you just come and use the equipment on your own for awhile after you're done. That would be generous! ;D

I hope this message gets to you as I started pushing alot of the buttons on screen, so here it goes. Has anyone had the PFR with versed and only the femoral blocks and released 23 hours later. My MD said the extra days are because of the anesthesia used. I am SOOOOO nervous. I have put on so much weight the last 1 1/2 yrs due to the restricted lifestyle. I am a hospice nurse and can't tell you how it felt going into all those homes with stairs........ :-X but am looking forward to riding a bike again in the future. How many days post op, since I'll be at home, do you think I'll need someone there to help. Thanks everyone. Deb

When are you having your PFR? I am 14 weeks post op. I had general anesthesia and was in the hospital for 4 days. Those days were spent with pain control and physical therapy. I can NOT imagine going home after 23 hours. Leta is our resident expert so I am sure she will have many words of wisdom for you. She had a femoral block so should be able to answer your questions better than I.

I had a spinal block, femoral catheter and versed for my surgery. My anesthesiologist used the same protocol for my PFR and TTT as he uses for TKR's. It worked like a charm! The femoral catheter stayed in for 48 hrs. and I was released at that time.

I can't really judge how long you will need help as I had the TTT along with the PFR, so I was non-weight bearing for 6 weeks and partial WB for another 6. I think the other ladies here can advise you better on that one. I will say that everything you do in preparation will help out after. Make dinners ahead, move your stuff close to where you will be spending time, get a toilet safety railing and a shower chair with a hand held head. That will lessen your dependance on others a bunch!

I know it's a tough thing to face, but remember what is driving you to this: your pain and immobility. When you can't deal with it anymore, it's time to act!

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask questions of any of us here! We've been there, done that!

I don't want to stand in the middle of the room on a table and scream, "HEY LOOK AT ME!", but Hey! Don't forget about me! lol

I went to therapy yesterday and have only gained one degree. I'm at 89 d. and I'm two weeks out! I'm getting a little frustrated. I couldn't do yesterday, nearly what I could do last week. And today the pain in my knee and shin (and I had no TTT) are unbearable. I've had 20 mg of oxycontin and two 10/325 Percocet, and a 10 mg Valium. But my pain is at about an 8 today and I can hardly bear any weight on it. It's awful.

Last night I was trying to do some laundry and I stepped back wrong and it twisted and popped really loudly and has been killing me ever since. It doesn't feel malaligned or anything, it just hurts all the way from the crease at the top of my leg, down to my ankle. And the pain in and around my knee is HORRIFIC.

On the upside, the scar looks beautiful (compared to what I thought it'd look like). I'm going to try and take a picture and somehow send it to some of you to show you how good it looks. Vicki said in a couple of weeks I can start putting some of that Mederma or Vitamin E or both or whatever else I want to put on it. I will take any and all suggestions I can get. I wanna wear shorts this summer. It's not like I want it to disappear, after all, it's a war scar as far as I'm concerned, I'm somewhat proud of it. I just don't want it to be the first thing someone notices when I'm wearing shorts.

Any ideas as to what to do to alleviate some of this pain and tension in my leg/knee? It's making me sick to my stomach and I have no appetite...and for me to have no appetite...whoa! Please, any help or suggestions I can get, even if it's exercises, I'll try it.

Deb, I think everyone else on here has had the Avon, looks like it works pretty good. I've checked the website, cool. I'm glad I got the one I did though. I did want a KineMed KineMatch PFR http://www.kinamed.com/kineMatchPFR.html but my OS felt it would overload the joint, plus he didn't like the idea of having to go through the long wait of getting the custom fit thingie when all you gotta do to get the "off the shelf" ones is ressection the bone to make it sit right.

I'm having a bad dad (painwise) and may not be back, but maybe hubby will bring me laptop later. I'll try to be back then.

I would suggest you have someone with you for at least a week after your surgery. Since you are going to be able to go home so quickly you will need help with bathing, someone to cook for a few days, help changing your clothes...I was able to manuver around on crutches but it is hard carrying stuff around. I finally put on an apron with pockets and used that to tote my stuff. Don't rush trying to do too much by yourself at first. You are going to be sore and need to give your knee plenty of rest. Will you be doing PT at home or somewhere else? I had friends take me to and from PT which helped alot. Don't hesitate with questions!

Elizabeth..

Sorry you are in so much pain today. Too much too soon maybe? Ice, rest and drugs....be sure to keep your leg elevated as well.

Still icy here and running errands today was a trick. Got them all done but I think I'll stay in for the rest of the day. I am treating myself with a massage tomorrow so guess I'll have to shave my legs tonight! :)

You go girl! I've been keeping my legs shaved because I have a cutie PT and I don't want his soft hands all cut up by my razor sharp stubble. ;)

I've been staying elevated, iced and drugged today. Doesn't seem to be helping much. Just going to the bathroom seems to be a huge chore today. UGH! Oh well, like ShadeHawk said, one step forward and two steps back.

Hi Elizabeth--I hope by now your pain has subsided so you can get some rest. Is it a flare-up from trying to do too much? I guess it's hard to say. Feel better!

Welcome Deb! I haven't had the surgery yet but will likely have it in the spring. Right now I'm trying Halygan shots (rooster juice!) as a temporary fix hoping to buy some time. You should have a heart-to-heart with your OS if you feel he thinks he can discharge you too early. Remember, this is a new procedure and he may think that because it's less radical than a TKR, it won't be as bad. But nobody has enough experience to say that and I plan to ask my OS, as Leta advised, to treat it like a TKR.

Hopefully your pain has eased some??? Sorry to hear about your "issue" with the laundry and the popping and such. Hope it is better today.

Don't sweat the ROM. As much as you want to kick arse on this thing, you WILL have days, maybe as much as weeks, where things don't seem to be going anywhere. Like I have said so many times before, as long as you are not going backwards as a general direction, it's all good!

Deb,

Good luck and post your own thread when you feel up to it. We are all with you in spirit!

As Nancy has expressed her concerns about your being released too soon. I too have those same concerns. As you have probably read in my thread, I was in the hospital for a couple days then sent to a rehab center. It is essentially the same procedure as a TKR, the only difference, to my understanding, is that you don't have all the hardware.

Please consult with your OS some more about this, as it seems he is not as informed as he should be. I would hate for you to suffer because of his wanting to rush this ordeal.

This is, contrary to some beliefs, a MAJOR surgery, and should be treated as such. I certainly hope for your sake that your OS takes that into consideration.

You take care of you and keep us posted. Wait..isn't today your surgery? ugh..Well, let us know how it turned out.

Had therapy today. Rob (therapist) said I'm doing VERY well and that my flexion is DEFINITELY improving, but he doesn't believe in measuring ROM every time because there are instances when the patient gets discourage if they think they haven't improved enough. Makes sense to me.

He checked my scar out today and because it's all the way healed up, I get to do pool therapy Monday, YAY!!!! Well, except for the part of having Rob see my big blubbery body in a bathing suit, but oh well! I got me a man!

My pain isn't improving as much as I'd like, but I'll live. At least it ain't a ten!!! I've been doing laundry like a mad woman and even helped the kids clean their nasty pigsty of a room.

I'm in a bit of a hurry as I want to play my PS2 some more. ;D I'm a big kid. lol

Love to my kneesies! And Deb, if you're reading or posting yet, MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU!!!!!

Elizabeth, glad you are doing so well. I would love to have a place to do water therapy. I would have to drive for over an hour to get to an indoor pool....not something I am interested in this time of year!

I am doing quite well. Walking on the treadmill daily, riding my exercise bike daily and trying to do a little upper body work. This ice isn't working well for me tho. I about bit it again today and kind of hyperextended my knee as I caught myself. Back to some pain and popping. I am sure it will be fine tomorrow but it really irritates me!Leta I don't see how you deal with it for so long! I love cold weather and snow, but ice isn't my friend anymore! We are going to Colorado in mid March with a bunch of friends to ski. I (of course) will not be skiing but I definitely want my knee in better shape to walk around in the snow. I would also love to lose about 30 pounds between now and then but can't see that happening...at least a few tho.

Please say some prayers for my brother-in-law. He had to have an abcess the size of a grapefruit removed from his lung today. He is doing ok and in ICU for a few days. For those of you who are newer, he has multiple myeloma and had his 3rd stem cell transplant in September. This is something he has been battling for 7 or 8 years.

I am very sorry to hear about your brother-in-law (might as well say brother). My granny passed away this past May as a result of a five year long battle with lung cancer. She won against the tumors in her lung. Then she got tumors in her brain. She had GammaKnife done on her tumors in her brain and was thought to be fine from it. Meanwhile through all this, she did radiation and chemotherapy. (Granny was a woman of slight size, about five feet tall and maybe 115 when she was healthy, when she passed, she had wasted away to probably around 80 pounds.) Anyway, in May she started feeling really weak, couldn't hold down any food or drink. Was admitted into the hospital for what was thought to be severe dehydration. It turned out to be cancer in the lining of her brain. She passed May 30, 2004 and it has been one helluva hard time for me since then. My grandpa (the one married to Granny) was in a pumpjack explosion October 15 and has been in the burn unit at Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita since then. Anyway, your brother has my prayers and I will not only be praying for him, but for his whole family as well, as I know the pain and hardship it causes on the entire family.

You take of you and that knee and stay off the ice girl! :)

Hugs,

Elizabeth aka SoonerBeth aka kmap71

PS All my other kneesies, keep pain free, keep mobile, take care of you and pray for us all! :-*

Hope your family members are doing better. It's hard to watch our loved ones suffer. It's doubly hard when you are trying to deal with your own issues as well. Thoughts are with you both.

Sheila,

Get yourself some of those slip-on ice cleats! They are rubber and they slip over most any shoes. I never leave home without them. You can get them from most any sporting goods store or online at Plow and Hearth, LL Bean or I think Land's End has them too. Unless we are prepared to move to a southern climate, we must adapt and not be held hostage by the winter months. Be sure to get yourself some before going to Colorado or you'll spend the whole time in fear! I also have a great pair of snow boots from Merrel that are a God send. Excellent traction and very comfortable. Ice is what put me here so I am very cautious and always stay prepared! ;D

Elizabeth,

I am doing very well despite the -20 degree cold. It hasn't seemed to effect me too much this time around. I am going to the gym most days for either weights and bike or swimming pool. I have arm floats that I use to bicycle and cross country ski in the water. The other day I tried to use a kick board and actually went backwards! It was all quite funny and as soon as the weather warms up, I'm heading back to my water therapy session with the PT to see what's up with that! I've got to be doing something wrong. Backwards?? Really...

Nancy,

Yes, I can honestly say that I am getting better everyday! I think I am gaining confidence now and getting used to what will probably be "normal" stuff for me. One of my biggest complaints now is that the lateral side of the scar is pretty much numb, but becomes kind of sensative if I wear jeans or other rougher materials. I can't understand why if it's numb, it becomes sensative if it's irritated. My OS said that the area of numbness will probably shrink over time, but I may always have some around the TTT portion of the surgery. Weird, huh? That TTT is wicked, I tell ya!

I forgot to answer your question about the CPM machine! I never really had much pain in the hospital, thanks to the fem cath. As I was kind of regaining my wits about me post-op, I looked down and realized that I was on the CPM machine. I increased it a little everyday and when I left the hospital, I was at about 52 d. It came home with me and I spent 3 weeks on it, three to four times a day for an hour each time. It never really caused me much pain except when I would jack up the ROM a bit. It would be uncomfortable the first bend but after that, it was fine. You have control over the speed of the bend and the degree and you can stop it at any time. It's a lovely machine for the immediate post-op time while you are still rather immobile. It only goes to about 120 though, so you will have to ditch it after you reach that goal and go to heel slides on the wall to increase ROM. I have had full range since about 3 months post-op and I thank the CPM for getting me started!

My heart is with you and your family members. My brother has a bone cancer which destroyed his kidneys and he now is on dialysis. It's so hard watching stuff like this happen and we can't do anything about it. At least our problems are basically mechanical which means they should be able to be fixed.

Leta

Once again, thanks for the terrific info. At least I don't feel I will be going into the unknown when I go for the surgery. You mentioned boots with good traction from Merrel. Is that a store or an online outlet? Also, I never heard of the ice cleats and I'm definitely going to look into that.

Deb

It'll probably be a while before you get back on the computer but you have my prayers--and everyone else's here, I'm sure.

These shoes are awesome and even tout the fact that they are designed to help a woman's Q-angle! I'm sure your docs have discussed Q-angle with you. It's a big thing for us PFS sufferers.

http://www.shoestoboot.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=736&Category=153

You may be able to find them cheaper somewhere else, but the Merrel Tundra winter boot for women has been the best purchase I have made! They have actually reduced the time I spend in my shoe chains and are the most comfortable shoes I own today.

Nordstrom's also carry them, as does REI and many other outdoor stores. I highly recommend them and I know you wouldn't be sorry you bought them if you deal with ice and snow on a regular basis.

I went to Nordstrom's today and got the last pair of Merrel Tundras in the store! I love them. They're even sharp looking. I got the black with a little gray trim. Thanks again for telling me about them. :)

Oh Cool!! I ended up with the Taupe colored, but badly wanted the black. I'm glad you like them! I love mine.

Q-angle has to do with the angle of the femor and the tibia. The greater the Q-angle, the worse the malalignment. I'm sure I'm missing some medical info here and someone is bound to correct me, but that's the way I understand it. These boots are designed to aid dynamics of walking to create a better Q-angle. Maybe they are just blowing smoke, but I love them anyway! Hope you like them too! (I'm glad you like the style. In Montana, you'd be "all that and a bag of chips" wearing those to any public place.)

They have an amazing selection, and all the descriptions include a heel height--crucial for us kneegeeks! The shipping has been free every time I've ordered (four times), and they have arrived here within 24 hours of placing my order!! And I live out in the sticks, two hours from the nearest major city or airport.

You will not regret shopping with them. Their prices are excellent, and they will refund 110% of the difference if you find the same pair cheaper online. And you have 365 days to return shoes--if you only test them on carpet and keep all the original packing materials, you can return them FREE of charge if shoes don't work out (as long as they are 'like new' still).

Their sale prices are also fantastic. I bought five pairs of shoes tonight (slightly embarrassed, but their snow boots and hiking/running shoes were all on sale) and got at least 20% off each. I very nearly ordered a pair of stunning Italian leather riding boots, but I'm afraid with my weight gain over the last year my calves won't fit in them...my feet are also a whole size larger than they've been for the last, oh, 20 YEARS. The left leg (bad knee) is bigger than the right, so part of the problem is swelling. Anyway, I figure if I'm going to go through this knee ordeal and forced diet (down 5 pounds--yay!), then I'm going to have cute shoes.

Well, I ordered a pair of shoe chains last night. I am so tired of either not going outside or being so afraid of falling that I almost cry when I AM outside. Of course now the ice and snow will melt and we won't have any more this winter! Thats ok...I can use them when we go to Colorado in March. I am SO ready for spring! Can't wait till I can get out and push that mower, dig in my flower beds, and play in my garden.

Seems like I have had a headcold forever. Does anyone know if your immune system is compromised by having a prothesis? I haven't had a cold for YEARS and now I keep getting them over and over.

My knee is doing great. I still have a pulling type of stiffness when I walk but the swelling is way down and pain is almost non-existent. Leta, I too have that area of numbness which isn't numb! It is a wierd sensation when something touches that area! OS said it might go away and might not.

I looked at the Merrell Tundra boots. Those look awesome. I would love to order some but just bought some UGG type of boot and blew my wad on them. Do the Merrell's actually have sticky bottoms that work well on ice? Nancy, I bet you will be the bell of the ball in yours! What luck with Nordstrom only having one pair and in your size!

Julie, welcome back! I missed you! Sounds like you had a great vacation. How is your knee doing other than being sunburned?

The shoe chains are going to make your winter much more pleasant. You won't be sorry you bought them. It's a very small price to pay for piece of mind. I can totally relate to the crying in fear when you are outside. Been there, done that...over and over again! I had to force myself to deal with the snow and ice that is a part of life here. That's why I start carrying them in August and don't put them away until May. Montana is harsh and even worse when your elevation is close to 5000'. The Merrel Tundra's have a great traction system and are very stable. In fact they have reduced the need for the shoe chains for me. As long as it's packed snow, I'll just go with the Merrels and if there is a thin layer of snow or visible ice, I'll slip the chains on.

It sounds like your knee is doing great! I think the pulling will be something you get used to and the numbness will be something that we live with. I'm so glad you are feeling little to no pain and gaining some confidence. Imagine how great it will be at a year post-op!

Heather,

Thanks for the shoe tip. I'll probably get hooked and have to forget I ever saw the site! LOL.

Nancy,

Hope you are enjoying those boots. Order the shoe chains though. You can never be too careful! ;D

Those Merrill Tundras are so wonderful! The most comfy things I've ever had on my feet. I walked around in Connecticut today and felt much more secure.Thank you, Leta! I'm going to order the shoe chains too. Yes, the black ones are the "all that and more" -- I actually feel fashionable.

And my pecker is way way up today.

So thanks to Leta and all of you dear kneesies. I'm going to check out Zappa, too--at my financial peril. But, hey, we deserve a little shoe therapy, right?

Lots of shoe talk. Sheila, if'n ya jus moved south a hundred miles or so, ya wouldn't have to worry about the ice! lol Here in Oklahoma, we rarely have "winter".

SoonerBeth is doing, "okay". I did a number on my knee today and am rather worried that I did something bad to it. It's a long story and hard to explain, just trust me, I think I made a booboo...but I won't really know until Feb. 11. Maybe it'll feel better before then and I'll find out it was just a minor incident and it'll correct itself. At any rate (AAR) I'm in ALOT of pain and not dealing with it very well cuz I'm scared I screwed up Dr. Bryant's hard work. And there is alot riding on my shoulders! His nurse said, "you have to do well so other people can benefit from having this procedure instead of having to have the TKR'.

I guess I just need to not try so darned hard. I'm imatient as hell..scuse my french...and I guess I have it in my brain that I should be doing jump/squats by now. argh

Anyway, I'll live. I'm tougher than I let on. I deal with alot more than just the pain, there's ALOT of stress in my life right now that has caused me ALL sorts of problems, including insomnia, depression, consant worry, and so on. I am sure that doesn't help my healing process. But I don't have to worry about walking on ice!!! ;D

Add in: I talked to hospital administrator at Baptist where I had the surgery..ya'll can go back in my postings and see what all I had to endure...anyway, there's going to be some investigation and possibly some compensation for the HELL they put me through. I doubt I'll get rich off of it, but I hope it teaches that damned anesthesiologist a lesson he'll never forget!!!

Okay, well, it's late and I'm really tired. Hugs to all my kneebuddies.

Elizabeth, I don't know what you did to your knee but if you are hurting and think you did something bad to it you probably shouldn't wait till Feb 11 to see your OS.

Our ice should melt away in the next couple of days. I love winter and snow. But we have NEVER had an ice storm like we had a couple of weeks ago so hope I don't have to worry about that again anytime soon!

I gotta get with it and run some errands this morning so best get busy.

Well, what I think I did is dislocate my kneecap...and it has since popped back...OH MY GOSH!! THE PAAAIINNN!!! It's swollen and I can hardly walk now. It's snapping and popping when I bend it. I'll call Dr. Bryant when he's not in surgery..today's surgery day, and let him know what happened and see what he says.

Glad your ice is melting, we had some here, but winters here are like Florida weather to me. I grew up in Iowa. :)

I need a shot of JD. Someone email me one, would ya? ;D (As you can see, I'm trying to keep my spirits up.) Hard to do lying in this bed with this leg up.

Waiting on a phone call from Baptist hospital to see what they are going to do about the a**hole anesthesiologist whom I blame for 99% of my pain. The jerk needs his license suspended. (Sorry, I just needed to vent.)

All: I am now in Chicago. My sister called this morning and my brother-in-law has taken a turn for the worse so I booked a flight and here I am. Our brother is also on his way so we will both be here for support. Please keep Doug in your prayers as well as my sis and nephew.

I really hate to sound like your mother, but you really need to take it easy with this thing! You read the site and you know what the surgeon had to do to put this PFR in place. If you have a dislocation as a result of an accident, it can take up to a year for your knee to settle down and stabilize. Imagine how long it takes when they surgically invert the thing AND dislocate it!! I know how hard it is to sit around but you MUST avoid the twisting motion with that foot planted. When I read that you were doing laundry last week, I imagined how much twisting was involved and couldn't imagine doing that this soon after surgery. I know I sound like a witch, but it wouldn't be good to undo all the good he did during surgery and end up with other problems as a result! TAKE IT EASY!

Stress is a tough one, but at this point, you need to let go of the things you can't control, especially now. Your energy needs to be focused on the positive so that you can heal and recover.

I know you know all this crap, but think of this as a reminder, delivered with your welfare in mind... ;)

Sheila,I am sooo sorry to hear about your brother and his family. I will sure be praying for them and you. I'm there with you in spirit. Just remember to take it easy on that knee while you're there. Those hospitals can sure take a toll on ya.

Leta,

Thanks for the mothering. I needed it. Really. It's hard to swallow my pride, but I know I screwed up and hope and PRAY I didn't do any permanent damage. I've been laid up in the bed all day ... literally.... am getting ready to take a hot shower to work out the stiffness. I'm going nuts because I know there are two tall baskets of dirty laundry in there waiting for me...and more to come. But I do need to listen and take care of ME. There are FOUR other people in this house who can do laundry and there is NO reason why they CAN'T. After all I AM recovering from MAJOR surgery!

My kneecap definitely dislocated, and went back "in". There's no doubt about that. But the last couple of times I got up to go pee, it doesn't seem to be popping as much. I will definitely call Dr. Bryant tomorrow and let him know what happened.

And you do sound exactly like my mother...lol (That's a compliment.) She was nagging me this weekend because I'm so friggin' impatient. She reminded me that it took years for my knee to deteriorate, and that the OS went in there and cut bone, muscle, and tissue, and installed metal, cement and plastic. I have to realize that the recovery process is just that, a PROCESS. It doesn't happen overnight. (I got to be the mother later on... She was depressed because she's dieting and the weight isn't coming off fast enough to please her and I asked her how long it took her to gain it and she told me and I told her to remember that and follow her own advice, IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN OVERNIGHT!)

I promise I will learn that I'm not WonderWoman and try to find a happy medium. (I don't want to sit around too much and get stiff.) I have an appointment with PT early in the morning, starting with pool exercises. I'll make sure and tell him what happened and let him be the judge as to what to do. I'll have a different guy tomorrow because of my rescheduling from Monday. Name's Brett, but I'm sure he's just as confident and caring and will not do me any harm.

As far as the stress...well, we are a blended family and some MAJOR changes are coming and the stress is really driving me nutzoid. But I will try to take it easy and take it all in stride.

Thanks Leta for caring enough to get on your soapbox. I don't think you're a witch and I hold no grudge for your lecture. I know I needed it. That's why we're here!

Take care of you and let's all remember to pray for Sheila and her family. :-*

Prayers to Sheila and her family.Sooner Beth, I have been following your recovery and wish you the best. I hope you can get good answers from your Dr. Take care, don't worry about the laundry,(one of my pet peeves too:) ) and try to get well!

If that happened to me, I'd be in the OS office right away. As for the anestesiologist, you SHOULD get some compensation. Sounds like he was totally incompetent. What does your OS say about that?

Laundry, schmaundry. Let them wear last week's clothes or do it themselves. It's all about YOU right now.

Leta

Knee-mama! We need your pep talks. You sure pulled me out of a funk the other day. I got my last shots yesterday and, dare I think, it might be a bit improved today. It's bitter cold and I'm going to meet some friends for a sushi lunch. Leta, this time it really is sushi. I have my Tundras so I feel more secure. ;)

Just thought I'd share with my shoe freak, bum knee friends that I got my order of FIVE pairs of shoes (all bought on sale from Zappos.com ;D ). It's so great to put on a pair of cute, new shoes and not have them hurt your knee.

I got two different pairs of snow/inclement weather boots--one from Ugg (shearling lining) and the other from Sorel which are rated to -45 degrees F.

I hope your brother in law is doing better, and that he's comfortable and surrounded by friends and family and people who love him. We lost a dear family friend who had been fighting a terrible disease for 22 years. He was the longest-lived patient with this horrible illness--it's so bad that patients get cancer as a side effect of the damage the disease wreaks in their bodies. His passing was prolonged, and so painful for everyone. He made it to January 5th, just enough to greet the new year and say his goodbyes. I'ts heart-breaking for his family, but we know that they helped him so much near the end, and brought him a lot of comfort.

I'm glad I didn't come off as a hag in your eyes! It's just hard to see you go through this major surgery and be doing so well, just to have an unfortunate laundry accident!

Your subluxation, while not the best thing that could have happened, is probably not a huge screw up. Once a patella has been dislocated, as your's was for surgery, it is easier to dislocate for awhile after. I was told that most people who have dislocations (90% in fact) recover fully and don't need to do anything more than therapy. The one very bright side: there is no cartilage to damage! ;D Anyway, as painful as it is now, you'll probably feel better in a couple of days. Are you in a post-op brace still?

Hang in there and keep your eye on the prize!

Heather,

What a great feeling to shop, score the big deal and enjoy what you purchased! Does it get any better than that? It's kind of our challenge to find good, fashionable shoes for the knee geek! ;D

Nancy,

Hope you enjoyed your lunch and that you were the envy of all those poor misguided women who don't actually own a pair of Tundras! ;)

Sheila,

Been thinking about you lots. Hope things are getting better (and warmer!) in Chicago.

Of course I wouldn't think you were a hag. Everyone needs a little lecturing now and then. What's this site for if not for encouragement, advice and venting?

I did call the OS today and they said that I need to keep it elevated above my heart (yeah right) and ice it for 30 minutes every couple of hours. I did okay at PT today, except it keeps popping now. The OS nurse did say that it can be something that might happen because it DID happen before the surgery and I've got to get the muscles and stuff working to hold it in place. But she said if it happened again to get myself in there IMMEDIATELY.

You are so right though, at least I don't have to worry about cartilage damage! lol I've never had a post-op brace or a CPM. The only practically permanent fixture are the TED hose, and those were only after a disagreement between the idiot pain management doctor at the PT hospital and my OS. OS wanted me in them, PM didn't think they were necessary. OS won. ;D I don't mind them at all, in fact, they keep the swelling down, therefore keeping the ROM up. Speaking of ROM, I have no idea what that is as of now. Probably not very good considering I'm swollen and one day after a subluxation.

My eyes are definitely on the prize and I'm working HARD toward that prize. Meanwhile, I have half of my mind on getting my hands around the little neck of that smarmy little piece of bleep anesthesiologist. Yes, I'm still holding a grudge. :'( I'm having nightmares about my stay in the hospital and my OS is being VERY stingy with the dam pain meds and I'm in ALOT of pain. Scale of 1-10, a constant 6 at least and sometimes up to an 8. IT IS BAD AND BELIEVE ME, I KNOW BAD. (I will say though that after a 10 mg Valium, a 10 mg Oxycontin, a 5/325 Percocet, some ice and elevation and a wine cooler, I was feeling down to around a 3 to a 4 at my folks' the other day.

Anyway, enough about me, anyone heard from Deb? What about Sheila? Sheila, if you're watching, I'm with ya.

Greetings from cold snowy Chicago. Would you believe it is supposed to be in the 60's at home and I am not there? And me without my shoe chains....they are probably sitting in our mailbox in Kansas!

Things are the same here. No change with Doug...he is still in a rotating bed in ICU. Stable but no change. He is in a drug induced coma (don't remember if I told you that). Sis and Bro left early this morning for the hour drive into the city hoping to catch the doctors as they make their rounds. Little 12 year old nephew just took off for school walking in the snow. It's only a few blocks and he likes to walk it.

Last time I was here I complained about all the stairs...now I am enjoying them. Since I don't have any at home it has been really good for me to climb them here....great exercise and work on the quad. Plus there is a great new exercise bike sitting in front of the big screen TV.....just my cup of tea (or glass of wine!)

Beth, how are you doing? Sounds like you are mixing your meds & alcohol...naughty! One or the other kid. Not both at the same time.

Heather, I finally read one of your Mom's books...great read. I haven't had the opportunity to grab yours yet but it is on my list of things to do!

Thanks all for the kind words and prayers. I am trying to keep my pecker up for all involved. You guys are helping more than you know!

Hang in there Sheila and make the best out of the bad situation. Enjoy the "ergonomically correct" bike and the stairs! You'll be well conditioned when you get to come home. Hope better news is in the works in the short-term future.

Beth,

You'll get there, I'm sure about that! About your pain level, you aren't even 4 weeks yet. I think if you give yourself a break, recover from the subluxation and take it easy for a few days, things may get better. If your function is good but your pain is bad, you are probably doing a little too much. Well, heck...we already know that, don't we? ;D Since I had a TTT with mine, the post-op brace was standard issue. I don't know much about the straight PFR, other than what I have read from you guys, but maybe a post-op brace might be in order. I know you are "death" on braces, but if you are going to be the laundry queen this soon after the op, maybe it would afford you some protection. When do you see your OS again?

I HATE, ABHORE, LOATHE, DESPISE braces. They make the leg weak and feel like overcooked spaghetti. I did my stint with them after my second arthroscopy w/LR and, like I said, overcooked spaghetti. It was the absolute pits for me. (And the OS did say pre-op in answer to my husband that there would be no need for a brace.) Not to be rude, and I know you needed one, no biggie for others, but they are just NOT for me. I will fight to the death to not have to wear one of those things.

I'm in a rather chitty mood. I went to PT today and did the pool thing. My ROM is 70. WHAT THE HELL?!!!!!! I'm backpeddling, LITERALLY. I am quite literally working my ASS off and for what?!! I'm going BACKWARDS in the ROM department!!!! AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!! I'm soooo pissed!!!!!

ahem...would ya'll mind if i vented a little... :-[ I'm so sorry, I'm just so frustrated. And now Rob thinks that I should probably go against what the OS said and walk in his office and demand that he re X-RAY it.

Another reason I'm so down in the dumps is I have FIVE visits left to the PT and I STILL can't lift my leg. At one point I accidentally did, but I haven't been able to do it since then. :( I'm soooo upset and depressed and disheartened. I just don't know what to do. I'm ready to give up. :'(

Now, not only that, but my OS seems to think that I should be able to live on 30 pain pills a MONTH. WHAT THE?!!!!! I DISLOCATED MY FRIGGIN KNEECAP AND I CAN'T EVEN GET A PAINPILL????? I guess he thinks I'm going to be a friggin' junkie and THIS pisses me off as well. It costs me $10 each time I get a refill. I told him that. I told him that if he wants 120 pills to last me 60 days, all he has to do is specify that and the insurance won't fill them for that period of time. But, NO. He MIGHT give me another 30 in a few weeks, depending on my progress. Well, I've got news for him, I have a PCP who will prescribe them 120 at a time, all I gotta do is ask, and I damn sure will if he won't work with me.

Can ya'll tell that I'm not my usual cheerful self? AARRGGHHH!!!!!

Oh, and Sheila, no more mixing the spirits with the pills, I just did that day cuz I was hurting so bad and I needed to relax. It was just one wine cooler and it was like fruit juice for me. Oh, and I'm still with you and your loved ones in spirit.

Hugs all. Sorry I'm so bitchy tonight. Just frustrated as hell and had to vent.

Oh the life of a frustrated knee geek. Been there done that (still doing it once in a while). It is so easy to get down on yourself when you hurt and aren't doing what you think you should. Like Leta told me once...you just had your knee gutted like a fish...you are bound to hurt and you are bound to get frustrated. Dislocating your kneecap while doing LAUNDRY didn't help your mood nor your knee. You need to sit back and regroup. I couldn't do a SLR in what seems like forever. Then one day...zap...I could do it. And those little kicks while your leg rests on a coffee can or ball? What pain they gave me. Now I am doing them with 10lb weight and they are too easy. Time. It just takes time Elizabeth. And patience. Lots and lots of patience.

Take time to rest....elevate and ice. And YES you DO need to have your leg higher than your heart for it to make any significant difference. And for crying out loud...let your family wait on you....your house and laundry aren't going to combust if you don't do them....I bet your family won't starve if you don't fix them meals.You are trying to do too much and not taking care of yourself the way you should.

I too would go see my OS and have an Xray. It is your knee and if you think there are more problems then damnit, go IN! At least it may give you peace of mind.

My OS lengthened the amount of PT he originally prescribed. PT just called him and told him I needed more time and he didn't argue. Since I was a first timer for him to do a PFR he really didn't know how much PT I would need. We are pioneers and they learn from us.As far as the pain pills....I wasn't on them more than a month....for the last couple of weeks I had them I took 2 about an hour before PT. Stretching to get the ROM wasn't quite as painful then. Everyone is different and has different pain and need for medication. Every doctor is different and has a different perspective on medication. Sit down and discuss your needs, fears, problems, pain and frustration with your OS. Phone calls don't always do the trick.

Ok, enough said.

Bro-in-law is out of his rotating bed as of yesterday. They put him in medical ICU vs surgical ICU. The drug induced paralysis is being weaned down. He opened his eyes this morning and squeezed the nurses hand in response to a question. Still VERY critical but progressing in the right direction! Thanks for the prayers and keep 'em comin'!

I am going to venture out today...finally have a vehicle and I plan to blow some of this cabin fever away! It is still snowing here and are supposed to get dumped on big time this weekend. At least it's not ICE!

I second what Sheila says--insist that your OS re-xrays that knee. It'll make you feel better mentally too, since you will be DOING something about the situation yourself. It always feels good to make things happen instead of sitting back and feeling victimized, right?

I noticed that putting my knees above my heart lessens the pain. I'm still pre-op but I have plenty of pain. The rooster juice seemed to help for a couple of days but now it's just as it was. Maybe it'll kick in some later.

Leta, Sheila, Teresa, Heather, Elizabeth--

I have to say that with all the problems our kneesies are having, I'm really scared of the operation! I know a woman who had a hip replacement and she was getting around just fine after just four weeks, no pain! But knees are worse in terms of weight bearing. Evil, tricky knees!!!!!!!

Prayers to Sheila and family. Hope today brings good news with your bro-in-law.

A quote from more than one OS to whom I've spoken, "a hip replacement is a cakewalk compared to a knee replacement". Now, a quote from my mother who has had both, "the hip replacement was DEFINITELY MUCH easier than the knee!!!" So easy in fact, that I did her therapy at home, she never had to leave the house for therapy. She had her hip replaced August 11, 2003 and you can't even tell (unless you see the scar on her butt) she's had a hip surgery.

Did PT in the pool again today. Can get a little more of a bend out of it in the water....maybe 90 d. There's alot of popping, Rob says it's somewhat normal considering the exercises he has me doing, BUT, he wants me to see the OS and get it x-rayed. So, I'll call them Monday and see when I can get in.

And again, I say, if I don't do laundry, I have to wear dirty clothes. I do not have to cook however, my husband and daughter take care of that. But I have been staring at a dirty kitchen for a few days..but in their defense, they've got the "crud".

I'm hoping my OS has the same courtesy of extending my PT. (Never thought I'd be one to say that, considering my first experiences with PT!) Rob's great and he knows what my limits are and makes sure he doesn't make me do more than is comfortable. In other words, he ain't out to get me like alot of PT's are.

On a lighter note, has anyone been to see "Ray"? OH MY GOSH!!! WHAT AN AWESOME MOVIE!!! Jamie Foxx could NOT have done a better job!

Sheila, glad to hear the better news about your loved ones. Hope it continues to get better.

Your post was right on! Not much to add that would not be repetition. ;D Glad your b-in-law is doing better. Sounds like it's moving in the right direction.

Soonerbeth,

I am curious about your operative notes. Have you read them yet? How bad was your malalignment pre-op? You obviously had one if you were dislocating and subluxing before you had the PFR. The reason I had the TTT along with the PFR was that my malalignment was the cause of my problems in the first place. My PFR "trial" was put into place in the OR, then my OS bent my knee. POP! Out it went at 80 d. He then did an LR technique and POP! That time I made it to 85 d. Obviously that wasn't enough so he turned his attention to the TTT before setting the PFR with cement. His hopes had been that the PFR gave it enough "catch" to not need the TTT, but that wasn't the case.

At any rate, I would talk to the OS and insist on that x-ray if it will make you feel better. In the mean time, if you aren't using crutches now, start when it hurts or feels unstable. You don't want to risk having it happen again.

Nancy,

Surgery is never something that should be taken lightly! Please remember that what you here on this board is fairly typical for post-op with more horror stories thrown in! ;D It is a personal decision that only you can make. When your quality of life is such that you can't live with it, then it's time. Personally, I went through an incredibly long NWB period and am at 7 months now. Would I do it again? You bet! It was hard and not always the happiest of times, but I can walk now and actually have hope for a normal, active life. As I said, it's a personal decision that only you can make. It's not for the faint of heart, only for the sick at heart who can't go on like they are. Trust your inner voice and you will know when it's time. I was not scared a bit when I walked...limped into the pre-op ward. I knew it was my only chance at regaining my mobility. It was a huge relief to be on the other side and have something to look towards. You'll make the right decision for you, I'm sure of that!

I know in my gut that I will feel it when I'm ready. You're spot on about that.

Elizabeth

You are less than a month post-op. Have to remember that! Are you feeling less pain as the days go by? Hope that's the case.

Sheila

Glad your bro-in-law is on the upswing. Sure hope that continues. We are having a blizzard here and my bro still has to go to the hospital for his dialysis. I guess it all boils down to doing what we have to do.

Everyone--how long can you expect to be unable to drive after a right pfr? That must be a bummer!

Maybe your knee is hurting more because of the weather. I know that I am like a weather vane now. I won't start to worry until I become a GPS device! ;D

Luckily, my husband works out of the house so he was able to drive me around. I didn't go out much as it was hard being NWB. You get pretty tired pretty fast when your arms are doing most of the work. I think I was 6 weeks post-op when I drove myself to work. I was off work for 6 weeks so that sounds reasonable.

The weather has been too nice here in Montana. It's been record-breaking temps for a week and all the snow is gone. Great for knee geeks but I have to wonder how bad the soil and rivers are going to be if we don't get tons of snow soon!

Pain is still at least a 7 without pain meds, a 3 with pain meds. My ROM is not good. I can't do SLR, I can however pick foot up off of the floor about an inch with it bent, (sitting on side of bed putting pants on, I did it on accident, and can now do it on purpose, I almost had a heart attack!). I can't hold it there very long, but can do it repeatedly about 6 or 7 times without too much pain.

I haven't seen my post operative notes. I do know medical terminology, should I ask for them?

I'm going to call OS tomorrow and tell him what happened and that there is ALOT of fluid on this joint and that at the very least, I may need an x-ray and (oh my gosh no!) have it drained. My PT thinks that something is wrong, and he said that if I don't get any result by calling the OS, he'll call him and get something done. :-) Thank goodness for good people!

There is NO driving in the near future for me...well, cuz I don't have any control over my right leg. AND IT SUX! I HATE being dependent.

I am not using crutches, however I AM using a walker. I have use of a really fancy one with four wheels, a seat, a basket and hand brakes. My OS wants me to STAY on it until I can walk without a limp. He says that limping is as hard a habit to break as smoking or biting your fingernails. He definitely does NOT want me limping.

5 more days until I'm one month post-op and since from the start I thought I was doing so well, I am extremely depressed now. I feel like I'm backpeddling. I should be able to do alot more than I can right now and my therapist is working me HARD! I am also doing my exercises at home...I would say religiously..but I'd be lying, I am however doing them frequently.

My knee is continuing to stay full of fluid, no matter how many Lasix I take, no matter how much ice I put on it, no matter how much I elevate it, it's HUGE and to push on it, mushy is the word I come up with. My other knee is bony, so it's not a "fat" thing. I sure don't want that huge a** needle stuck in there to drain it, but jeez, I gotta do something!

Oh, and I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I did have ALOT of dislocating and subluxations pre-operatively.

The OS talked about possibly doing another LR during the PFR, but after he got the prosthetics in place they bent the heck out of it over and over and it didn't give any suggestion of subluxating, so he decided against the LR.

THANK GOD! Those things are so painful in and of themselves!

He warned us (my husband and I) before scheduling the surgery, and again in pre-op, that this being his first PFR we should be prepared for some post-operative adjustments, not to EXPECT them, but be prepared "just in case". (You know, those warnings they gotta give you.) But when he took the x-rays at my two week post-op visit, he said everything looked great, so I'm not worried about having to be cut open again. I am worried about having to be drained though...CAN YOU SAY O-U-C-H?!!!!!

My ex OS said that just the sight of that huge needle they use to drain knees would cause 300 lb football players to faint dead away. (Can't you just picture it? LOL) Anyway, I'm tough and if it's gotta be done, it's gotta be done.

I'm not real fond of those huge needles either! But if it helps with the pain then a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do!

Leta, I'm jealous of your nice weather! It's nice at home in Kansas but here in Chicago we had 14" of snow on Friday/Saturday. The same snow storm that hit Nancy in NY! I think she got a whole lot more than we did. But that's ok cause Nancy has the new Tundras!!! lol

Nancy, looking at surgery and hearing all our war stories probably IS scary. I am SO glad I had my surgery tho and the good outweighs the bad 10 fold! I know that by spring when I can get out and walk the mower, walk around our lake, work in my garden and play in my flowers I will be even more glad!

Having folks do things for you when you are an independent cuss IS hard. I found that as well. But you deal with it, work thru it and carry on.

Things are status quo with b-in-law here. Probably more down than up at this point. Seems like one thing looks wrong so they give him medication for that and the medication causes something else so they medicate him for THAT. I know that Northwestern in Chicago is a great hospital and he has the best care. Keep praying.

Hi Beth, I hope your knee is feeling better today! :)Don't worry too much about the draining. I was anxious about it before I had it done, had heard the horror stories, and it was not as bad as I thought it would be. It wasn't pleasant, but in my mind, I had made it alot worse. My OS numbed it first, it was really numb, then drained it, then put cortisone in it. The day after it was pretty sore, but I could move it so much better! With the pressure off of it, it felt much, much better!I have had mine drained 4 times after surgery. Good luck!

I know a guy who had bilateral TKRs and did great. I have a feeling it's easier for men because of upper body strength, overall quad and muscle strength and not having the Q-angle thingy. Grrrrrr! I know, I know, life isn't fair.

Sheila

You really have a great attitude. I'm going to need that inspiration. Looks like the rooster juice is doing zip.

My pain goes all the way up to my butt, especially on the left ("less bad") leg. Did you have that and is it better now?

Beth

Hang in there! I think you said you didn't like antidepressants but there are a lot to choose from now. If SSRI's (Paxil, Zoloft, etc.) give you a bad reaction, there is Wellbutrin which has far fewer side effects and doesn't cause sexual dysfuntion. ;D I started taking Paxil about six weeks ago and it's really helping now. It takes the edge off and makes me feel more optimistic.

I can't believe your OS is that unresponsive. Especially since he has performed a brand new op on you! I'd think he'd be more cautious and curious about how you're doing.

Well, out into the snow drifts to run my errands. Take care all and hope everyone has a good knee day.

GPS is a global positioning system. ;D I'm sure if I can predict the weather, I'll be able to give latitude and longitude at some point!

Beth,

Yeah, something's wrong! You dislocated your knee cap! That's probably the cause of your swelling, pain and loss of ROM. A dislocation is hard enough to recoup from without having it happen post-op. After having my dislocation reduced in the ER, I was in an immobilizer for 3 weeks. I sure hope your OS can shed some light on things. I think you'll be amazed at how much better it will feel after having it drained. Remember what you just went through: having it drained ain't no thing after that! Hope things start to look up soon for you.

Sheila,

Sorry about the weather. I'm liking it but I'm also scared for what's going to happen this summer if we don't get winter soon. Life in the mountains gets kind of scary during a drought!

I'll keep good thoughts for your b-in-law. Sounds like he's in the right place to be fighting this thing.

My PT is now thinking, after close observation today, that my subluxation was due to the weakened quads. They are like watery jelly, AWFUL. He hooked it up to a little device that measures the power of it and had me do some exercises where I had to make the quad fire and hit a certain number. I did pretty well he said. (But the ones that hold the patella in place are rather weak..of course). In fact, he called me an overachiever. It made me feel good. I still can't do an SLR, BUT I can sit on the side of my bed and lift my foot off the floor about an inch and hold it there for about a minute. I thought that was pretty good, so did Rob (PT).

Rob also showed me some massaging I need to do to my scar to keep it from attaching itself to my patellar tendon..which it already has started to do...and boy does it feel better! (Hubby is at store buying Mederma as we speak.) Also some light massaging on my leg to get the swelling to disperse..it's hard to explain. Anyway, even though I worked my quads off in therapy today, I went home with a smaller knee than I went in with. I was in awe!

On another note. I got a (much-needed) hair cut and I colored it back to it's original color (and covered the gray) and I feel a little less depressed. Also being able to see on the little machine today what kind of firing my quads are doing helped quite a bit. They are working, it's just getting my brain to communicate with the lower part of my leg. We're getting there, slowly but surely.

I'm down on my meds. I've stopped the oxycontin all together and am taking 5mg valium morning and night for muscle spasms and 7.5/500 lortab morning and night to control the pain. That's pretty much getting me through, plus I take Nexium, Lasix 20mg, and a sinus/allergy pill. But on a scale of 1-10, my pain isn't a constant 7 anymore, it's around...maybe a 3 - 4 with the way I'm taking the meds now. I'm slowly but surely weaning myself off of them.

Not sure if I'll need the knee drained after all. Had Rob take a good gander at it today and he did some pushing on the patella to see what happened, and the way he explained it, there would be some poofiness coming out of the side of my knee, there was a little tiny bit of movement, but barely any. He said to wait on the draining and see if these new things he's doing help the swelling.

BTW...I've had my knees drained more than once and I know what kind of pain and discomfort it is. I've had cortisone shots several times (in both knees), all of the rooster juice shots (in my right knee) and had my right knee drained at least 5 times, left knee probably 3 times total. I'm definitely not a novice at this whole knee thing. FOR SURE! UGGGHHHH!!! It's not that I'm afraid of having it drained, I'm just not looking forward to it..obviously, who in their right mind would? I mean, HAVE YOU SEEN THE SIZE OF THAT NEEDLE?!! IT LOOKS LIKE A STRAW!! lol ;D But hopefully, this whole spiel will be moot because Rob is doing a wonderful job with my PT and we even did some moving around of the patella today and it didn't even act like it might pop out. So, tomorrow we're going to do some REAL patella stuff. Kinda sweating it, but we'll just see how it goes. I won't worry because Rob knows when to stop.

But really, today PT was quite strenuous. I did wall heel slides, bed heel slides, he slid my heel as close to my butt as it would go and then stretched it from side to side until it finally bent to a whopping 97d.!!! I did the Total Gym and lots of stretches and ups and downs of the quads. We're really starting to work hard on the quads and knee itself now that we feel more comfortable that it's not going to pop out of place again.

Hubby bought me a bouncy ball...hehe..that's what I like to call it. It's a Danskin 65 cm exercise ball. I was already bouncing up and down on it and squeezing it between my legs and doing some other exercises. I told Rob today that I got one and he pulled the one out at the therapy center and showed me some more excellent exercises to do to get these quads firing and get this knee loosened up. Oooohhhh, I also did some balance exercises between the parallel bars. He put a two inch step in front of me and had me raise my good foot up and step on it, then back down ten times (w/out holding on) and then do the same to my bad one. And since that was "too easy", he had me do a four inch step, w/out holding on. I DID IT!!! I'm pushing this walker around like a pro with almost no limp whatsoever and I'm hardly even holding on to it except to steer. So, maybe by my next OS appointment, I'll waltz in there like I know what I'm doing! :-) I won't get my hopes too far up, but I'll shoot for it anyway. ::)

Did I mention we're working on loosening up the scar? Did ya know that it'll attach itself to the patellar tendon and make it difficult to get a good bend? Also got me some Mederma.

Well, that's about it. Good news on my Grandpa who's been in the burn unit. He gets to go home at the end of the week. He still has over a year of surgeries and therapy left, but he'll be in and out of the hospital for it. The point is, HE GETS TO GO HOME!!!! I've been soooo elated since I heard the news I'm giddy as a school girl with a new crush.

On a down note...tomorrow would have been my younger brother's 31st birthday and I'm missing him quite terribly. It comes twice a year, this wave of memories and mourning...January 26, his birthday and August 16, the anniversary of the day he went to be with the Lord. So, at any rate, if I don't post tomorrow, it's just because it's one of those days...I've felt it coming all day. It's almost a sense of dread, deep in the pit of my stomach. AND THIS HAS ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING TO DO WITH MY KNEE SO I WILL SHUT UP ABOUT IT!!!

You guys let me know how those knees are doing and at what point in your recovery you were doing SLR's and what your ROM is now, would ya? It'd be a great favor to me.

It sounds like you are doing really well, considering you've got a scrap heap of metal in your knee! Seriously, you are doing so much at PT. Would it shock you to know that you can do way more than I can?!

Anyway, knee recovery is really three steps forward and two back. Sometimes it feels like the transmission is stuck in reverse, but you're clearly on one of those LEAP FORWARD kind of weeks. Keep it up. A lot of us with no cartilage in our knees are eagerly following your proress. So you've got lots of people tracking your rehab and recovery, and 'virtually' with you every step of the way.

Keep up the great work in PT.

Heather

PS Don't look at the needle. It's better that way, trust me. Though I usually don't complain if someone wants to drain my knee, because it feels SO much better once they do.

Beth, Sounds like you are gaining again. Good for you! Good days and bad days...the life of a knee geek. Taking care of that scar in extremely important. Keep it moving, moving, moving! I am pretty sore today...don't know if it is all the stairs here or the colder weather, but the popping and creaking is pretty nasty. Good to hear about your grandpa getting out of the burn unit. He's been in there for quite a long time hasn't he?

Leta, how are you doing? Any snow up your way? I'm sure that winter moisture is a must up there.

I'm doing better as far as getting in motion, but the pain today has been horrible! I guess because of the total workout two days in a row at PT. I'm so glad I don't go back til Friday! I will do little exercises on it and ice it until then. It's been flared up alllll day. Hurts bad to even scooch myself with my walker. And I was so proud of my walking! ugh..oh well...like another geek said, 3 steps forward and two back. I don't think I've lost any momentum, just am really sore from all the hard work. And yes, I'm keeping it moving moving moving.

Gotta go, not feeling well. :-*

Me

Interesting changes someone made to the site. I think I might likey. :)

Yeah, I'm making great strides in PT again and hope that my daily postings are a help to all who consider PFR in the future. I make sure to post the negatives and positives so folks will know that it's no picnic.

I'm having a little better day today. Not in as much pain. I think I just overworked my poor squishy quad Monday and Tuesday at PT and it needed some quiet time yesterday. It doesn't burn near as much today.

I'm walking a little better today, yesterday I was leaning on that walker like nobody's business,...today I'm back to doing more pushing than leaning. THANK GOD!

I have PT tomorrow. I'll check back later today and post tomorrow after PT.

Since I've been on my own with PT and cleared to lift weights, I have a rotation that I use that keeps me from getting sore. I don't lift weights two days in a row, I always break it up. The only things I do everyday now is quad sets, bike and stretches. I lift every other day and do calf work on the other days. So far, I haven't been too sore. Oh! I also so Pilates and I rotate those too so that I don't do the "Bun and Thigh" every day. I try to get to the pool a couple of times a week too but I haven't been very faithful with that. Too much work to get there! In the beginning, I did heel slides 4 times a day, SLR 4 times a day and an un-Godly amount of quad sets. My PT told me that quad sets are probably going to be a lifetime event for me.

Anyway, that may be something that would work for you down the road. The training experts say that you shouldn't lift everyday anyway. Food for thought!

Well, I'm glad that other people can be faithful to their PT without the obligation of going to a facility to rely on someone to push them. I'm a wimpy, lazy, whiner and need to be prodded. ::) Oh, well.

I'm glad atcha. How do you measure your ROM if you don't go to PT? I have two more weeks, but am going to ask OS to extend it.

I've been offline for several days. My laptop had a nervous breakdown and it turned out to be the keyboard went kerflooey, so I had to wait for a new one from Dell. I installed it myself ;D My hub was amazed. He's not good at that stuff. (Though he's very good at a lot else ;))

Elizabeth

Wow, you are going great guns in PT! I didn't know about the scar might attach itself to the patella tendon. There's so much I'm learning here. I'll be prepared when the time comes, as much as anyone can be, I guess. That's enouraging news about your Grandpa. So sad about your bro passing so young. I've lost two bros but they were older. I have one left and he has cancer now.

Leta, Sheila, Heather and ALL

Well, I tried to work the recumbant bike at the club the other day and wreaked my so called "better" knee. After two minutes the pain just kept shooting through the joint so I had to stop. I was on the couch most of the day yesterday with knees up applying ice. I have a feeling it will be sooner rather than later that I lay down for the op. Aaaargh! Hope you guys will be there for me!!!

When I finally got back online, the whole site looked different. I thought for a minute that my computer had screwed it up. But I guess they're trying to improve it.

Hi allIm just wrote out a long post about how I wrote on the post-op pfr posts, and when I came back, no answer and found you all hding on this post thread, and someone changed the site...for the better I think. Unfortnately, when I finished asking you all in turn how you were, I pressed a button to post, and POOOOOOF......my post vanished into an abyss!!!!

Trying again.....the weather is damp here, no white stuff like you get in the states.It does make my knees hurt more though.Sheila, keep your chin up...sounds like your bro-in-law isa fighter. My prayers still going out to you all. Beth, I think the body recognises when we have overworked a part of it, shuts down to make you rest and top up with analgesia...listen to it! you are doing so well, just to say that my knee is still swollen 11 months on...not as bad as in the first few months, but by the end of the day, still squishy.It will never look like a proper knee again tho'.

Leta my friend, how are you doing?have you ridden those horses of your? You are such an inspiration, but is someone inspiring you?! :- ::)Anyway my friends, second time lucky in posting this.......have a good weekend

You miss understood my post completely. I am 7 months post-op so am past the PT and was not in anyway comparing myself to your situation. I went to PT sporadically for 3 months after the surgery, then was turned loose with the understanding that I could go see my PT whenever I felt I needed to. You, at some point will be past PT as well and won't be depending on someone to oversee your workouts so my post was meant to give you some hints on how NOT to over-work yourself. I don't measure my ROM anymore as I am at full extension and flexion. At 7 months, you will be there too. Rehab is not a race nor is it a competion and the board is meant to educate and encourage folks who are going through similar stuff. Don't let yourself fall into gauging your recovery by others. It can't be done and will only cause you extreme mental anguish! You are doing splendidly and your PT will know when you are ready to strike out on your own. My guess is that it won't be for awhile. It's kind of scary when they cut you loose at first, but liberating all the same. After a week, you'll be glad you don't have to be bothered with the appointment! I know it's hard to imagine right now, but it's a phase of recovery and certainly not the signal that your "all better"! Hang in there and don't let yourself be discouraged. 8)

Nancy,

I've been wondering where you were! Sorry to hear that the bike was a bad experience. If it makes you feel any better, I was biking within a week after my surgery, TTT and all! It was slow and with no resistance for a few months, but now I do 25 to 30 minutes at a stretch with moderate resistance and could do more if I had time. Of course we will be here for you! You've suffered and celebrated right along with us and there is no way I'd abandon you! Silly lady! :-*

Teresa,

I, too fell victim to the new board! It changed my username and wouldn't let me in! It was a drag reading the posts like a voyuer for a couple of days while the administrator was sorting it out. Glad to be back and I think I like the new site. It's a little more user friendly. Have you seen your OS yet? I've been thinking about you and wondering how it's going. We have had incredibly nice weather here and all our snow has turned to mud. I probably could ride, but I haven't yet found the courage to challenge the what must now be "broncos"! I have been going out to the barn some to mess with them though. They look like wild mustangs who have never seen a brush or curry comb! They are fat though, so at least there is evidence that someone cares! ;D It gets dark here before I get home from work so it limits my free time for outside stuff. On another animal note, we found a girlfriend for my labrador and are hoping to get a puppy this spring. That's if his "get up an go" hasn't "got up and went"! She's not quite in heat yet but is headed that direction so time and mother nature will tell...Please let me know about the Yellowstone trip. I can send you loads of info anytime you wish! It's in my back yard... ;) Would be smashing to see you!!

Hey, there you are! ;D The old evil knees are a bit better today after my knees up sessions. Now here's a question: my hub wonders why, if the pfr is not proven and seems to have nearly as much post op pain and recovery time, why not go straight to a TKR? It just feels so much more radical to me. Has anyone compared post op experiences PFR vs TKR? I know a number of men who've done fine with TKR but no women. One much older lady had it and got a horrible infection and isn't doing well, but she's about 80. I met one young woman with a TKR and she said she has no pain but very limited ROM.

I think you said you still have swelling? Is that usual after so long?

Take care of those mustangs! I used to ride in my thirties but then I started feeling scared when I saw someone thrown. And they know when you're scared! Lab puppies are so adorable. They can be wrecking balls too. We just have one darling Persian cat ("She who must be obeyed") Right now she's racing house-afire through the house. Sounds like we have a wildebeest upstairs. Great cries of joy. She knows she's got it knocked--two tall creatures with can openers doting on her.

I don't have much swelling to speak of now. It gets a little puffy if I've been on my feet all day, but nothing worse than it was before the surgery. It's kind of the norm for me and has been all my life. In fact, I am using heat at night to soothe them and have had no swelling as a result. The issues I am working through now are a result of the TTT, such as shin pain and soft tissue stuff. The PFR has been great and I would be healed completely if that had been the only procedure I had.

Going for the PFR over the TKR is a decision that is sometimes based on age and whether the tibia is involved with the OA. With a TKR, they have to resect lots more bone on both the tibia and femur and each time they revise a TKR, it gets harder and harder. They have to resect bone everytime they revise. That's why they like to try PFR in younger patients. I also think that if the PFR doesn't work, there is always an option: TKR. With the PFR, much less bone is taken from the femur and none from the tibia. That's part of the reason I would never have another surgery without a CT scan of the joint. If there is something they missed on the tibia, the PFR won't be successful. You are correct in that the PFR is not as radical as the TKR. If you are a candidate for the PFR (no OA in the tibia), then that would be the more conservative approach. It also leaves you an option in the event that it isn't successful. I really think your recovery is about the same with a TKR as with the PFR. I know several women who have had TKR and are extremely happy with it! One woman I was in water therapy with had a fall from a ladder and blew out her meniscus, thus landing in the OR for a TKR. She is 54 yrs. old and doing very well. She was 2 months ahead of me and was doing lots of things when I met her. Very successful story for the TKR!

Yeah, my poor horses are feeling rather neglected these days. Actually they are loving it and taunt me daily with their freedom and attitudes! I don't blame you for being afraid of them! I can't even count how many times I've hit the turf over my lifetime. They are an awesome power and not something to be controlled when they don't wish to be. I'm kind of a thrill seeker though and I get a huge rush from being in dangerous situations. ;D Horses have certainly put me there more than a time or two! Bless them!

There are HUGE operative differences between the TKR and the PFR. Go to the Avon site that everyone keeps plugging and check them out. They are quite informative.

I know with mine, I had very little bone ressectioned from my femur for the metal piece that goes in the troclear groove and a little "grinding" to make a flat surface on my patella for the plastic piece. That's it..The total knee requires a WHOLE lot more bone cutting and such, it's MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR. Yeah, we might suffer the same post-op pain and recovery and have to do the same PT exercises, but in 10 - 15 years, it'd have to be done again..which means more cutting of the bones..and depending on the lifespan....see how it goes? I'm 33, so the PFR was most DEFINITELY the best choice, (my great grandma lived to be 104). If I lived that long, we're looking at at least 3 more TKR's. No way Jose! My OS said that with the overall health of my joint other than my kneecap and on what it was grinding, it looked excellent, so he expects this prosthetic to last for many years...IF I take care of myself. (I do intend to do that by the way ;) )

All kidding aside, my OS and many I've read about agree that there are far too many TKR's being done. That is something they'd really like to save til a person is in there late life, so it won't have to be done again, or if so, just once more.

And there is a post on this bulletin board under "The patello-femoral joint" entitled Patellofemoral Joint Replacement vs. TKR". You should probably read that.

Leta, I'm sorry, I think I may have misunderstood you, but then again, I might have thought I was misunderstanding someone else, or may not have misunderstood anything and was just retarded...at any rate....I'm sorry.. :-* It's so hard to keep up with and understand everybody and address everybody on here. But we try. ;D I know that my recovery may take a while, but I'm still uber jealous of miss Sheila being able to drive after four weeks. It's been a month now and I can barely lift my leg off the floor when I'm in a sitting position! I can't lift it onto the bed yet (under it's own power) and I have to literally DRAG it into the car when we go somewhere, I sit in the back seat propped up on pillows and feel like such a friggin invalid. Still no SLR's, couldn't do it if my life depended on it. If my leg is slightly bent, I can lift it some, but not straight. It just won't happen. Oh well. :'( Throw myself a pity party or move on. I think I'll move on.

Grandpa got out of the hospital yesterday!!!!!!! It was a happy day. Happy to hear him on his OWN HOME PHONE!!! He was very tired though, from his trip from Wichita to Pratt where he lives. I can't wait to see him! (Although Pratt is wayyy farther than Wichita! I'd rather travel farther and have him at home.) He's got many more surgeries and much more therapy, but he's at home and that's what counts.

Gotta go, my "Baby Boy" is here (my 16 year old..lol) and I need to spend some time with him.

You WILL get the SLR and it will all seem like a distant memory! I'll tell you, the SLR is one of the toughest things to accomplish, but once you get one, you're there and it only gets easier...and fast! You'll probably start with a couple of inches off the floor and it will be incredibly hard, but in a week, you'll be doing tons of them and not even remember when you couldn't do one. Keep in mind that you had a subluxation and the rest of us didn't. THAT is an injury all by itself that alone demands a recovery. Couple that with the huge surgery you just had and you are behind that much from where you would have been if it hadn't decided to "jump ship"! Stay the course and you'll be there in no time. What seems impossible today will be status quo in a week. Of that, I am certain...provided there are no more unfortunate laundry accidents! ;D

I just love you and your enthusiasm! You always have the right words to say to lift my spirits and give me encouragement! I know I'm not the only one who looks up to you. I hope I can be a source for you at some point. (Not hoping anything bad happens of course!)

Did I mention to you that my PT has done stuff with my knee since the subluxation that, if it was going to do it again, it would have? IT DIDN'T! YAY!!! It didn't even ACT like it was going to! He said that sometimes that just happens and it was so soon after the surgery and everything was still so weak, that it wasn't that uncommon. Now I actually have a firing quad, it should hold it in place. He also likes to make constant references to my "volleyball calves"...I sure wish the right one would cooperate!! lol It will, I know, just give it time. ;)

We got me a recumbant exercise bike today. It's what the therapy place I went to after surgery said I needed. It's the one with the peddles out in front instead of below you. I can't wait to find a place for it and get to using it!!! I keep eyeballing the one at PT but Rob says he's not ready for me to use it yet...well...what he doesn't know won't hurt him.. :P I will be careful not to overdo it though, I PROMISE.

Have I mentioned that I MISS DRIVING!!!!! Sheila..what's it like? I can't remember! ;) :P :-* ;) ;D Hope your family is doing better, I haven't seen any updates.

I'm going to get off here now...got a new phone I wanna program. 8) Oh, and I got a new cell phone too! I've moved up in the world, it's a camera/video phone..but I don't know what to do with it..lol I'm electronically and mechanically inclined, I'll get it figured out. Also got me an alarm clock that has a radio and a buzzer...maybe it'll be able to yank me out of my drugged state. ;)

You will love your recumbant bike! My home bike is an upright and the one I use at the gym it recumbant and I would much rather ride at the gym. For distance, it's way more comfortable. I started out on an upright at the PT's office, just for ROM. That's how I got to 90 d. by 2 weeks. I spent countless minutes just rocking the peddles back and forth until I could go around and make the full revolution. After that, for strengthening, the recumbant is the way to go.

That's great news on the sublux test! My OS and PT both warned me that it could all go to H*E*L*L in a handbasket with the slightest miss step in the immediate post-op period. (They both consider abut 3 months to be the "immediate post-op period".) That firing quad should do the trick! That SLR is probably not far behind. ;) Along with that, driving is next...

Oh for petes sake. I just typed my little heart out and have no idea what happened to my post! Maybe it will show up another day!

Still in Chicago for another couple of weeks. Doug is progressing very slowly but progressing just the same. ARDS is a rollercoaster type of sickness, so there will be good and bad days to contend with. And all this on top of his cancer and recent surgery.

My knee has bothered me quite a bit the past few days. Don't know if it is the stairs I am trying to climb like a real person, the lack of PT exercises (I have really been lax), or what. By evening I am limping worse than ever.

I have no idea what I said in my missing post, but hope you all have a great day.

How are things in horse country? Do you think you'll be able to ride again? Or is that something you don't want to chance. I wouldn't myself, but you have so much more experience.

Sheila

Been thinking of you in Chicago. Hope things are turning a corner with your bro-in-law.

It's really hard to do PT when you're traveling. Are the exercises supposed to gone on, like, forever?

Beth

So glad you're seeing improvement. The recumbant bike is great. That's what I was using at my club. But I really got into trouble using it last week. The pain just shot through my knee so I had to stop. The fact that you can do it shows that the surgery worked. :)

All

I'm getting a little relief with the rooster juice, but I know it's just a temporary half--**ssed fix.

The thought of not being able to drive for a long time after the op is a biggie. By the way, I was rear-ended yesterday while stopped at a light. The woman behind me, also stopped, leaned over to get her bag off the floor and her foot slipped off the brake and onto the gas! :o So far I seem to be all right.

Well, I HAVE the bike, but I can't quite "use" it yet. I just do like someone said and rock it back and forth til my knee won't bend any further. I can't do a complete round yet. Told Rob about it today and he said it was a good thing.

I was able to controllably raise and lower my leg today with a big roll under my knee. I can't do it straight legged yet, but I'm gettin there!!!! I could hold it up for about five seconds and control it all the way down...now, keep in mind, this is with quite a bend...but Rob said the SLR's are coming. ;D

I also told him about this site and that I have this support group. He thought it was a really neat thing.

The rooster juice takes a while before you get the full benefit from it. (It didn't help me at all, except for the pain of the shots, I couldn't tell I'd had anything done.) Just follow doctor's orders about PT and exercise, and here's a suggestion word for word from my mom's hip replacement OS, chondroitin and glucosamine, "go to wal-mart and find the cheapest bottle of that crap you can find and follow the directions on the box". Never know, it might prolong your need for surgery. You've posted your apprehensions. I hope the best for you.

Pain...well, I have been better, but I have seen worse days. (Pre-Op, my pain on a day to day basis was most of the time off the charts, so this is actually a blessing, I suffer much less now than I did before the surgery. It felt like I one huge shard of broken glass and a bunch of small pieces of broken glass in my knee..the OS explained after surgery why he thought it felt like that.) Anyhooooo.....On a daily basis, if I don't take my Lortab, it's around a 4+ while walking and a 2+ while resting. With the pain pills, walking, maybe a 2+, resting, 0. So, yeah, I'm doing MUCH better. Now, during PT...a whole other story. I can't and won't do PT without my pain meds. Yesterday for istance, I took my Lortab 45 minutes before therapy, plenty of time for full effect, and during PT my pain got up to an 8+. I was fighting off tears. Rob saw it and asked me if I was okay and I just said, "no pain, no gain, right?" He slowed the routine down a bit and sorta repremanded me for not telling him that it was hurting so badly. But it wasn't like that, it was a "good" sorta pain, kinda like when you're working out and you can "feel the burn"....well, a little beyond that. But the thing is, with what we were doing, I could feel stuff loosening up in there and didn't want to speak up. And today I'm in very little pain (I've had my Lortab) and I'm doing laundry, put the dog out twice (now he's barking to get back in AGAIN) made the kids' beds and mine, swept the living room floor, I mean, I've already broken a sweat, not to mention getting on my ball and doing my stretches. I'm getting ready to put on my shoes and do some more stretches and ride my bike. I can deal with pain all the way up to an 8. (After all I've done this morning, moving around, I'm around a 4, sitting here, a 2.) After all, I've been dealing with it for a very long time. And now there's a light at the end of the tunnel! When I lifted my leg as far and held it as long as I did yesterday, I was given a whole new hope. I told Rob he would be getting pictures of me riding bikes with my kids this summer. He said he'd be looking forward to that.

I go back to OS on Feb. 11 and I'm going to ask for more PT. I believe Rob can get me to full recovery, but it's gonna take a little more time. (Mostly because of that subluxation I had early on.) I only have 3 or 4 more visits and I know I won't be to full ROM before then.

Could you tell me what the diagnosis is on your knee? I don't think I've gotten the story yet. May I ask your age? Have you had any surgeries on your knees before? Which knee is it? Also was wondering if you have a weight issue? Most of us kneesies do of course, because it's hard to exercise when your knees hurt so doggone badly! My OS knows about my postings on this site and I'm sure that most of us all know this, (I know I already did before he told me), but here goes. "For every extra ten pounds you carry on your frame, it's an extra 50 pounds of pressure on your knees. Going down stairs that ten pounds equals a hundred extra pounds of pressure on your knees." (Well, I knew the 10 lbs/50 lbs thing, but not the stairs/10 lbs/100 lbs thing.)

Well, I reckon I've taken enough of your time. You take care!

And to all of your kneesies, "HERE'S TO A PAIN FREE DAY!!!"

Oh, and Sheila, I haven't forgotten you or your family. You stay on my mind and I'm with ya. Be careful on that ice! My best to you and your family.

If you can say now that you feel better than you did before the surgery, then it has been a success! I'm glad to hear you say your pain level is lessened since the surgery. You are headed in the right direction. Rocking that bike is the best thing you can do! That is how I got 90 d in the week past the op. It really works and will be great when you make it all the way around. My PT called my OS the first time I made a full rotation and told him about it as I was on the bike. It was a great day and a real step forward.

Nancy,

Hope you get some time from the rooster juice! Even if it helps for a few months, that's better than nothing. Also hope you had no injury from your car incident.

I will be riding this spring and summer. All I need is a mounting block to help me get into the saddle and I'm golden! Can't wait, but am a little worried about the "saddlehorses-turned-mustangs" as they have had it pretty easy for the last few years. ;D Good thing they are not young and full of energy anymore.

Sheila,

You will have periods where things aren't "all that and a bag of chips"! Try doing a few stretches and see if it helps. You are probably experiencing many things that combined, make your knee holler a bit. Cold weather, stairs, lack of PT...all of that are cause alone to have some crummy days. Stay the course and it will feel better when you get back to a regular routine. I had days...actually weeks...where I didn't feel like I was up to par, but then all of a sudden, I would do something that I couldn't do before and it was immediately better! I don't know if you are ready for this yet, but I have been trying some limited heat on the knee and it is a God send! After all those months of ice, I sat in a hot springs and the next day I felt tons better. I now use heat sometimes for 15 minutes and it is very soothing. I don't have much swelling anymore and I wouldn't do it if you are swelled, but boy howdy! It sure feels good...you may want to try it. Hope things are getting better for you guys in Chicago. Thoughts are with you!

Leta....Thanks for the note. It is sometimes hard to remember that I will have bad days/weeks. I am sure things will be fine and once I get home to my regular routine they will get even better. I am still in Chicago and will be here until the 10th (baring unforeseen obstacles). Doug is still in ICU...critical. Seems like it one thing after another. When I go home, my sis will hopefully start accepting help from friends and neighbors. She has taken a leave of absence from work so at least that is one thing she doesn't have to worry about right now. Doug's Mother is very well off financially so the money worry isn't' there either....at least for quite some time. She will continue to spend her days at the hospital and be home in the evenings for Zach. I feel selfish about wanting to go home but I really miss hubby and my dogs. I have talked to gals from both her job and his job who are more than willing to step in after I leave.

Beth, glad you are doing better. Keep rockin that bike...the rotation will come and surprise you! I felt like having a party when I could finally do it!

Nancy, I have been meaning to ask you....do you crow in the early hours after having rooster juice injections? :) I am so funny.

Nothing much to report. I do want to thank you all for your prayers tho.....they help so much.

I have OA in both knees, confined to the patella, but the right one is the worst. I had arthroscopy on it, cortisone and now the rooster juice shots. I originally injured my right knee at age 16 during a dance class. I tore the ligament but in those days they didn't go in and fix it. It was ok for normal purposes until about five years ago when it started catching and hurting all the time. My left one does that too. My OS says the right patella is "finished" but there's some time left for the right. He's never done a PFR except on a cadaver! They don't get up and walk, lol. ::) But he is the "reigning" knee guy in my area. I also had an arthritic spur that was sticking into my spinal cord in my neck surgically removed and fusion in 1996. Before the surgery, the pain was excruciating. Now it is manageable. Plus I fractured my right ankle on the ice in 1997 and it was successfully reconstructed. I have no idea how that plays into the PFR situation.

I'm 61 and last year lost 25 lbs, so I'm in a normal range now, though I could lose another ten lbs or so. Weight Watchers really works. You can eat all normal food and mostly it's about portion control, watchiing your fat and strategies that help you think about what you are taking in. It's also very supportive.

Sound like you've resumed a ton of normal activities. You go, girl! ;)

Leta

I keep thinking of you roaming the range out there. The only places I've been out west are California and Dallas. Oh. and Phoenix, if you count that. No big sky states. I'm outside the city in a Westchester suburb, so it's a whole different world you're in. I know people love it out there.

So far no fall out from the accident. (Toes and fingers crossed)

Sheila

I don't crow in the morning, at least not before my two cups of tea, but I have found myself pecking things, sometimes my hubby on the cheek. :) Also I have a cadaver disc in my spine, so I'm channeling someone!

Hope you are still doing well and have got that full revolution on the bike! That SLR is a big one and it's a great milestone. Congrats on that!

Sheila,

Hope you get to come home soon and continue with the exercises. It will help for sure. My knees felt a little seedy this week myself and today I realized why. We finally got some snow! It's been so dry here that it's scary. At least the knee barometer was working. I was thinking that I was paying a price for my trip to the hot springs last weekend, but I'm thinking it was the weather change that caused my aches.

Nancy,

About riding the range...I am sending you an IM so check your message box.

I have yet to achieve the SLR...did I mislead? I can do bent knee leg raises, but not yet an SLR.

I walked for thirty minutes on a cane in PT yesterday. Up and down stairs, ramps, around the room, all over the place. No detectable limp. My PT wants me to start out slowly and wean myself off of the walker. He said when he sees me Tuesday, he'll be able to tell by the size of my knee if I followed his advice.

Don't have alot of time, but as it's been a few days, I thought I'd check in.

OH! And I STILL feel better than I did before the surgery!!!!! I just thought you all needed to know that. I don't feel that "broken glass" feeling any more and THAT in and of itself is the biggest relief. I'm not pain free by any means, but the pain I'm in now is "good" pain..it's "getting my leg back" pain. ;D I'm as tickled as if I had a feather up my *ahem* nose. ;) Anyway, Ya'll take care now!!!!

So glad you're stilll feeling better than before the op! Glad for you and it gives me hope. I was beginning to have haunting worries about things like MRSA and post-op dislocation etc etc etc ::)

Leta, you range rider!

Howdy pardner, maybe you know the answer to this. I recall that, I think, you had a cat scan before the op and others have mentioned that. But when I mentioned getting one to my OS, he said he'd want an MRI. What's the difference in what they can see and why would one be preferred over the other?

All kneesies

Anyone know the answer the above?

Hope everyone is having a great pain-free weekend! It's fifty degrees here today in NY. Can't believe it but I don't look a gift horse in the mouth, right Leta?

Yes, I know the difference between an MRI and a CT scan. I also know that if your doc wants to see what's really inside your knee, an MRI probably won't do it. My OS said, (and I've heard this same thing from MANY) that MRI's lie when it comes to what's really going on in there. As far as CT scan being able to see, I don't know. If you have to pay for the MRI or pay a co-payment, my humble suggestion would be to turn it down. (Have you seen another OS? It never hurts to get more than one opinion, and carry around all of your x-rays!) Of course, that's just me. My OS saw my two MRI's from before my surgery and said that there was nothing there suggesting that I might need surgery,......but from ONE x-ray, and the picture from the scope two years prior, he could tell there was something DEFINITELY wrong and when he went in, lo and behold, what a mess! He told me that the MRI's didn't pick up what was going on in there. I'll tell you this...I had grade FOUR PLUS chondromalacia, but the MRI said only grade ONE and showed everything was pretty well normal. There is a HUGE difference, if that's any inclination. My OS said we'll go strictly on x-rays and physical examinations and my complaints the next time. My OTHER bad knee is pretty bad and I've had x-rays and MRI done on it. The x-rays show bad, the MRI shows good. hmmmm....???

Now, this is just me, and my experiences. I'm sure others will let you know their opinions on the subject. But I would strongly suggest that if you haven't already seen other doctors, you do that. You are a hospice nurse and you know that a second opinion never hurts! :) My OS who did the surgery was my 7th.

Anyhooooo...Hope you get to feeling better.

News on me.. I'm wearing JEANS today. I've been wearing these gosh awful knit stretchy pants from wally world that are too short (yet very comfy) since the surgery and I wanted to be NORMAL today. So, here I am, tugging at the things because they feel weird against my scar. Anyway, I'm off to run some errands with hubby.

Thanks for the info on MRI versus CT scan. I'm thinking about a second opinion too, though my OS doesn't require an MRI. He said that in response to my telling him I might consult with Dr. Fulkerson in CT whose website indicates he does a CT scan. My OS recommended I talk to him. I said maybe I should get the CT scan before I go and bring it. That's when my OS said, why not an MRI? Maybe neither of them really show what's needed? My OS seems to rely on x-rays and his own physical assessment.

I guess the x-rays and physical assessment is probably the way to go then, cuz that's precisely what my OS is going on. (Well, he had a little photograph of the inside of my knee during the scope...but next time he won't have that.) He told me that given what I told him I'm experiencing, the x-rays, and his physical assessment, there was no doubt that I was a candidate for the PFR. When I spoke to him the day after surgery, I asked him how bad it was, and he kinda smiled, shook his head and said there was no doubt whatsoever that this needed to be done. I asked him if he could tell what was causing the "broken glass type pain" in my knee and he said that it was probably from that patella being so thin and rubbing against my femur and the fact that my patella was 70-80% GONE. (I'm assuming that meant no cartilage or something, I'm really not sure, but that's what he said.)

He also told me that doing cortisone in my other bad knee every 3 months isn't what he suggests because it actually does more harm than good in the long run. So, *SIGH!!!!!* I'm going to ask for the cockadoodledoo shots in it to see if it does any good. My PT could hear how bad it is. There's a chance that the reason the rooster juices didn't help my right knee is because it was so far gone. My left kneecap is still pretty thick and hopefully the Hyalgan and Synvisc will help it. I dunno....now I'm second guessing myself. That means a trip once a week for five weeks to north OKC when I'm in SW Norman for a SHOT in my KNEE. UGGGHHH!!!! I'll talk it over with OS on the 11th and with hubby and see what we come up with. He may want to wait until I'm fully recovered from this thing anyway.

I got a new walker! (Like I wanted one... >:( ) My dad was letting me use his fancy shmancy one, but unfortunately, he's having problems walking again (his back) and needed it back, so I had to go get me one of my own. It's neat, I like it..for a walker, it's really super cool! lol Really, though I'm not a big fan of walkers, and having to use them, it is a nice one and it was priced well too. And guess where I got it?....Wal-Mart. $148.48 I figure I don't have much time left on it for now, but I will need it in the future for my other knee. Told my hubby to keep the box and we'll just disassemble it, put it back in the box and put it in the attic til my next surgery...same with my other "get well" stuff. ;)

I have therapy tomorrow. I've been working really hard at home. I wish my recovery was going more quickly, (like some other people I know, ahem!) especially since I see my OS this Friday, but I guess I just have to take it as it comes and give it my all and go from there. I'm patting myself on the back for trying to be patient while working myself to death. I STILL for the LIFE of me CANNOT do an SLR!!! Back at the very beginning, I was lying in bed and accidentally lifted my leg up while sitting up in bed. I thought, "WOOHOOO!!! HERE I GO!!!"....not... Here I am over a month from the surgery and no SLR, no driving, nada. :'( My scar is looking better though. lol

Well, I reckon I've been yankin' yer chains long enough now. I'm gonna go watch my soaps while I do my exercises. ;D Thank goodness for DVR!!! (For those of you who don't know that one, it's Digital Video Recorder.)

Oh, I gotta add this though.... I'm thinking I'm getting almost 100 d. out of this knee now, I'm having Rob measure tomorrow after we get her warmed up. I KNOW it's beyond 90 and get this...before surgery, I could almost kick myself in the butt, BUT the pain was so gosh awful bad that it brought tears to my eyes...now..bending it to the point where it won't bend any more is just a little uncomfortable. NOT PAINFUL!!!! Ain't that great!!!? I'm telling you, I have gone through alot with this thing, but I do NOT regret having this done, not one little bit!!! To be one month post-op and feel BETTER than I did pre-op, IT'S AMAZING!!!!!! I never expected to feel so much better. I never thought I'd be without that gosh awful pain. I thought I'd have to live with it for the rest of my life. I was quite literally without hope until my husband accidentally found Dr. Bryant. THANK GOD FOR THE INTERNET!!!!! And I'll tell you this, I won't think twice when it comes time for the other one to get done. (I'll just make sure I get a different anesthesiologist! Oh, and a fem block! Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice SHAME ON ME!) ;) ;D

Just a quick note to let you all know my brother-in-law is being moved out of intensive care today. He has been off the respirator for 48 hours, hasn't had a fever in days and doing so much better. I am leaving here (Chicago) this Thursday the 10th to go back home. I am so homesick....it will be nice to be back in my own domain with hubby and dogs!

Somehow, for whatever reason, I have quit limping. I also no longer walk stiff legged. I am not sure how long I have been walking good but just noticed it yesterday. I walked my Nephew to a winter baseball clinic a couple of blocks away and as I was walking back to the house I notice I was walking fairly briskly with a normal gait. So I walked around the block at a pretty good clip and it felt GREAT! I still have some discomfort climbing stairs but all in all I am pretty much pain free! (except for the fact that I lost $5 to my Dad on the Super Bowl!...now THAT is painful!)

Hope you are all doing well. Oh, Nancy....I had 2 MRI's numerous Xrays and a CT scan before my surgery. My OS was sure he knew what needed to be done but after the CT scan he was positive. The Xrays didn't really show him what he wanted to see nor did the MRI. I think MRI's are good in some cases but now this kind of case.

Sounds like you are doing great! You know, that SLR is really there, you just don't think it is. Don't sweat it and one of these days, it will just fly up there like it belongs there. It's a weird thing. Your ROM sounds like it's coming along as well. Excellent work! Glad you are so pleased with this procedure. I really think it can be a God-send to many folks out there.

Nancy,

The CT was the tell all for me. I suggested an MRI and my OS said it wouldn't tell him a thing. I had many x-rays and an arthoscopic procedure, but nothing told the tale like the CT. I am going to have my other knee scanned before the end of the fiscal year, just to see if it's the same story. My opinion would be to never let anyone cut you open without it. If you are willing to pay for it, there is no reason why an OS wouldn't want to give you one. If my OS refused it, I'd turn around and walk out. That is one of the most important lessons I learned in this whole thing.

Sheila,

Awesome news on the return of your normal gait! That is excellent! Sometimes success just sneaks up on you and pounces when you're not looking. What a great thing! Glad about your b-in-law too. You must be excited about getting home. Yup. It's all good! ;D

PT today, did awesome. 10 SLR's, all kinds of exercises of the knee, quad, ham, calf and glutes. I did very well according to Rob. And Leta, you were right that SLR was there, and it did just sneak up on me, the night of my post where I said I still couldn't do them.... I was in bed and up it went, and then I was able to do it again. I've been doing as many as I can pump out and showed my stuff today in therapy. I'm really sore now, but it's a good "work out" kind of sore.

I haven't had any Lortab in a week or more, I'm just taking Ibuprofen for pain now. I think part of the reason I was on the narcs for so long was because I was afraid. At the slightest little twinge, I'd go "running" for the pill bottle. Gee..I wonder what might have caused that fear?? Perhaps my post-op experience? hmmmm...who knows? I DO! Anyway, I'm happy to report that the pain is quite manageable with the Ibuprofen and isn't ANYTHING, I REPEAT, ANYTHING like the pain before my surgery! ;D I couldn't be happier...well, if my home life were better, I could...but that's a whole other story. At any rate, as far as my knee goes, it's doing very well. Still can't control the leg well enough to drive, but it's getting there, I CAN'T WAIT!

Sheila, I'm glad to hear the better news about your b-in-law and happy for you that you finally get to go home. But, I just heard that the weather up where you're from is going to be bad for your return. Oh, well, home is home, right?

Leta, I didn't have a CT of this knee that I can remember. I wouldn't say that it's absolutely necessary, but that's just my humble opinion. Then again, my arthroscopy did show that my kneecap was B A D and the little photograph, along with the xrays and the physical assesment gave my OS enough to go on. I sure wouldn't turn one down for my other one before I have the PFR on it though! I know they show more than the MRI.

Well, Nancy, there is something to be said for piece of mind and like I said before, if it makes you feel better and you are willing to pay for it, there is no reason why a doctor should refuse your request for one. Had I insisted on a CT before I had my arthoscopic work, I could have went straight to the PFR and skipped the wasted year of rehab from the LR and Synvisc and being told it was all in my head! It probably isn't aways necessary, but if it is what YOU want, don't settle for anything else. I would want to be darned sure that my tibia wasn't experiencing any OA changes which is what the CT will also help with. If your tibia is showing signs of OA, you are not a candidate for the PFR. X-rays will show that too, but why not be totally certain? Again, just my opinion, but I feel pretty strongly about it. If you are mentally committed to the surgery and rehab, your experience will be easier to deal with. As long as you are comfortable, it's all good.

Beth,

Yup. That's how the SLR usually happens! It's a "mind over matter" kind of thing if all other systems are "go". That's probably an exercise you will do for life so be sure to enjoy them now as tomorrow they will become tedious!

Sheila, ya home yet? Oh, and I forgot to tell you, CONGRATS ON YOUR NORMAL GAIT!!! I know how huge of a thing that'll be for me, so I want you to know that I'm throwing a party (in my head) in honor of your normal gait!!! It gives me great hope. All of you do. I knew from the gitgo that this wasn't going to be a picnic, but ya'll have been here for me all throughout and without ya'll, I don't know what I'd do! THANK YOU!

Leta, i don't know what I'd do without ya girlfriend. You are a great source (as are the rest of ya) of support and encouragement for me! My PT is getting on to me for hooking my "good" leg under my "bad" (let's say I'm hooking the stronger one under the weaker one..that sounds better than good and bad...) one to lift it where it needs to go. That's a hard habit to break! I can lift it without assistance...with some pain..but I CAN...but that habit..SHEESH!!! Now I know what Dr. Bryant meant when he was talking about those habits! I'm CONSTANTLY reminding myself not to "hook". grrrr >:(

Nancy, I agree with Leta. You do what you gotta do to feel comfortable. You cannot go into this surgery with any doubt. The CT scan is what showed Leta's need for it, and it is true, you are NOT a candidate for PFR if you have OA anywhere except your patella. Everything else has to be healthy, otherwise it's TKR.

I ended up having to take Lortab today. My knee swelled up the size of a baseball diamond, and the pain was out of the park! That's what happens when you are standing in a "hip" clothing store ("Gadzooks" if you've heard of it) with your 13 year old daughter trying to find jeans. ARGH! Well, the good news is...she got three pair and they were on sale! lol The "bad" news is, she's built like her Amazonian mother and had to buy the "BIGGER" sizes and she is pissed. (She went from a 5 to a 9 in juniors, good grief, it's not like she's an 18W!) She isn't fat at all, not in the least, not even chubby! She wanted me to let her get the 7's and they were SKIN TIGHT! I tried to explain to her that they will SHRINK, but it was like talking to a teenager..oh wait...SHE IS ONE! grrr >:( Anyway, what we ended up with fit just right and she hates it because it makes her feel fat. IT'S A NUMBER FOR CRIPES SAKE! Well, welcome to womanhood Cadey. lol

Other than the "mall pain", I'm happy to say that my knee is doing very well and I think I can easily say that I'll never regret having had this surgery. ;D

Ya'll take care now. I'm gonna go tease the husband about his having to get the Just For Men to cover his silvers...lol ;D

I was a "hooker" after my LR. ;D My PT warned me that he would not tolerate it after this one, so I had to break the habit before the PFR. It is just so much easier than bending over and lifting it! My PT said "What? You afraid you might do something like a situp?". Well, that was enough for me. Smart #ss! I was going to show his chubby #ss just what I could do! You know, that tactic worked great for him. What a smart guy. Yup. Hurt like a #%tch but I was determined at that point.

I love Gadzooks! I have a great little jacket I bought from the Gadzooks in San Antonio. The jeans aren't exactly my style, but the rest of it is! I'm glad you realize that the "mall pain" is only fleeting. A couple of weeks ago, I found myself playing pool and shuffle board in a bar all afternoon, which is something I couldn't have begun to think about three months ago. It hurt, for a day or two, but now it's fine. It's those little battles that you win that lead to the winning of the war! (Oh yeah, and women these days are way too hung up on the "number"! I love Queen Latifah's point of view: "It only matters if I love myself!". Smart lady!)

Sheila,

Hope you are home now and enjoying your domain! Let us know when you can!

Nancy,

I'm going to send you another pic tomorrow along with a reply. This one will make you laugh! (The odds of "goat vs. woman" are way more even!)

Well friends'o'mine...today's the day. I see my OS in one hour. I got 102 d. bend out of my knee yesterday..OUCH!(after Rob worked me to death!)....(he had forgotten until almost the end of our session when he flipped his folder over and saw his own note that he wanted to measure and time me before wearing me out because I had my Dr. appt today...lol, oh well) I stood on my "weaker" ;) leg for more than a minute without holding on to anything and Rob said for me to go ahead and stop cuz he never makes anyone balance for more than a minute. My foot is having more trouble than my knee! lol

I'm getting to where I'm using the cane more than the walker now. Well...I've been there for a while. Around the house, the walker is easier, but I just push it mostly, I don't really lean on it. It's because I have 3 cats, a dog, somewhere around a hundred and seventeen kids and laminate flooring, I figure I'm safer in here with the walker...lol ;D But when I'm out and about, I use the cane almost exclusively, (except when I know that I'm going to be standing for a long period of time...for instance, the mall). I'm going to show Dr. Bryant what a good job he did when I go in today (at least I hope he thinks he did a good job...) and there will be no sign of a walker. My leg is feeling a little weak today, well, "used" is more the word I'm looking for..still a little wobbly from the good work out yesterday and I gave myself another last night. Getting ready to do some bending and stretching now, so I gotta hurry. I won't over do it though, cuz I want Doc to see how well I'm doing. Still going to ask for more PT though.

I think I pretty much have the "hooking" habit broken. I'll start to do it and catch myself, or my husband will and we remind me that it's a no-no.

Well, it's about time to go, I gotta get this knee warmed up a bit. Ya'll take care now and I'll post again after the appt.

Wow Beth! Amazing progress. :D You didn't mention pain so I'm hoping it's all very manageable. Better than before the op?

Cats, dogs and kids underfoot-- a real obstacle course. Hang on to that walker. I have one cat who almost tripped me on the stairs, but I always hold on.

Not much results from the rooster juice. I'm afraid it's not going to kick in. Well, it's only temporary anyway. I'm going to have a serious talk with my OS about my options soon.

Sheila--hope you're safe at home now.

Leta

Imagine not having to think about your knee ;D. Way to go.

All kneesies

Did you read Jane Brody's column about her bilateral TKRs? I think she's syndicated around the country. She said her pain coverage was mismanaged and all she could do for weeks after the op was to moan and cry and wish she could cut off the offending body parts! :o A doctor friend of mine advised me to coordinate with my internist or primary care doc on post-op pain meds since surgeons often don't give enough.

On a brighter note, I donned my basketball braces and went to a chocolate festival yesterday. ;D

Hope your appointment went well! It sounds like you are on the right track. I am curious though...do you need more PT or is Rob just that much of a hottie? ;D lol.

Nancy,

I know they say that the rooster juice takes up to 6 weeks to kick in, but I think, given what it is, you should have felt some relief by now. :'( Not trying to bring you down, just being realistic. I told my OS at my last shot that I didn't think it was going to work. I recieved a stern lecture on patience and attitude, which I didn't really appreciate! (Good thing he's cute or I'd have beat him about the head and shoulders!) After 6 agonizing weeks after the shot, I had my CT. It was all I could do to keep from screaming "I TOLD YOU SO!" I know that he just wanted to see if we could avoid surgery for awhile, but by golly, sometimes the patient knows best. >:(

Here's an idea: At my hospital, the anesthesiologists all belong to a practice called a pain management group. They not only handle the surgery, but they follow up and treat people with chronic pain. My anesthesiologist was one of those guys and he really knew his stuff. He treated my op like he would have any TKR and I felt no post-op pain. None. No deep bone pain, very little soft tissue stuff...nothing. Your OS is really someone who was trained to go in and fix you, then get out and see how it worked! The anesthesiologist is probably better equipped in most cases to address your pain issues. I would find someone like that or consult with a pain management group before hand to get an idea what the options are. Good pain management during surgery will go a long way to controlling pain in your post-op period! Just my two cents!

Laughing my butt off Leta! sheesh! ::) Rob is a very sweet guy, yes, and he's cute, no doubt, but there is no physical attraction there..lol For one, he's married and that's a huge turn off..lol Two, he's shorter than me,...and well, I'm prejudiced against short people (just kidding), three, I'm married (for the fourth time) with four children (all by my third husband). So, no, it's not because he's a "hottie" and yes, I really feel like I will benefit from more PT and my OS thought so too and prescribed six more weeks. Rob also thought I'd benefit from it, especially since the subluxation at two weeks post-op set me back a few weeks.

On to my appointment with Dr. Bryant... He was pleased as punch. I told him, while getting a little choked up, that I thought I would forever be burdened with that gosh-awful "broken glass" pain in my knee and NOW I feel 100% better than I did pre-operatively. He smiled from ear to ear and said he was so glad to hear it and was honest with me about something. He said that truthfully, he was probably as nervous as me about this surgery, I told him that I think he was more nervous than I was. He said that the reason he was nervous was not the "mechanics" of the thing, but more of how I would do personally with it, as far as getting well and such. I guess that was a nice way of saying he thought I was a wuss and wouldn't try to get better. But he did take a chance on me as I took a HUGE chance on him, and we will both benefit from this, as will other Okies I'm sure. I'm the poster child. Nurse Vicki said that the nurses in the O.R. at my hospital have asked about me alot and since she hasn't seen me since she took the staples out, she wasn't able to tell them anything...well, now she can! She said she was very happy to see me smiling and I told her I was happy to BE smiling! Before leaving, my husband asked them if they wanted to see me walk..they were a bit behind and I guess they didn't think to ask to see it..anyway, they said they did, of course, want to see me walk and I strutted my stuff and they were very well pleased. They commented on the fact that there is barely a limp. YAY! ;D

What a success story! Maybe I should print it out and show it to my OS, to arouse his competitive instincts and make him determined to make me into a roaring success and poster child for HIM. ;)

Leta

So pleased you're doing so well!

Great idea about consulting with pain management ahead of time. I'm going to make an appt with my OS Monday mornning. Sexy Valentine's day gift, right? I'll be lucky if I can get in this week. My so-called better knee is killing me. I was up with it during the night. It feels like there's a spur in there that's cracking against bone and irritating the h*ll out of the tissues. That might be removed with arthroscopy. The rooster juice seems to have helped a bit in the "worse" knee, the right, but the left has taken a nose dive.

On this board, I read that there is an oral version of Hyalgan. You may know it since it was originally for horses. Then for wider veterinary use. And now it's marketing for us mere humans. The people who tried it say it's great. It won't magically restore my rice krispies patellas but maybe it will guard against more arthritis. I think it's called Hyalganonic acid. Brand name Conquerer III. Have you heard of this?

Wow! I didn't know there was an oral version! All I know about for horses is Legend, which I will admit I don't know much about. That sounds like it has some real promise! Maybe I should ask about that for my other bad knee! I'm so glad that we never stop learning! ;D Makes me glad to be a human... 8).

Good job Beth! Sounds like it's all good for you. (BTW, I think you protest too much about the "Rob"subject!) ;D It's all in good fun. I hope you realize that! ;)

I told Rob about this site, I'm hoping that he comes in and reads my postings....now, if he sees this, I'm going to have to change therapists! lol No, I doest not protesteth too much. Rob's a great guy and an awesome therapist. My husband even likes him. And I'm fairly certain it has nothing to do with his "hotness" LOL.

I forgot to tell ya'll that Dr. Bryant didn't know anything about my having had a subluxation. He was rather miffed that he hadn't been told and let me know quite clearly that he would have insisted on my coming in immediately if he'd have known. He asked Vicki if she was the one to whom I had spoken and she said she wasn't and if she had been, she'd have had me come in right away. They were none too happy to hear that it had happened and told me, "NO MORE OF THAT!", kind of grinned, to let me know that he was serious but not trying to be rude, and told me that if it did happen again, make SURE to come in. I suggested that maybe it was because my quad was so weak before the surgery, then well, after surgery, of course, even weaker. He said it made sense, but still very bad. Anyhoooo... I guess you can figure out the rest of that story.

I also wanted to tell you guys that I was talking to him about the "popping" in my knee..which when I think about it sounds more like a "clunking". Anyway, he said that there is some fluid in there, but not more than to be expected six weeks post op, didn't even suggest draining it, anyway, he said that the patella is kind of moving around in that fluid and banging against the metal on my femur. He grabbed my leg and tapped (rather hardly) on my kneecap and made it make that clunking noise. I giggled...I couldn't help it..not only did it sound funny to hear the "plastic hitting metal" sound inside my KNEE, but, IT DIDN'T HURT!!!!! I told him that if he'd have tried that pre-operatively, I would have screamed bloody murder and there's a chance he might've gotten smacked! He snickered and that's when I told him, while getting choked up, that I thought I would have to live forever with the gosh awful pain I was suffering before the surgery and how much better I feel now. I already told you how happy he was to hear that.

Also, the plan is for me to actually be the "poster child" for this for Integris Joint Replacement Centers. I am still rather pissed about some of the care I received, and the letter I received from them regarding the "incidents", but in order to help other young people and other people who have isolated patellofemoral arthritis, I'll do whatever I have to do to make the PFJR more popular. I had to suffer for 2 and a half years because this surgery is just so rare here in this part of the country. I told Dr. Bryant beforehand that I'd get on my soapbox if this surgery works for me, WELL GIVE ME A SOAPBOX! It isn't easy, by far, and I'm still working on recovery, but I'm six weeks out and feeling better than pre-op, THAT'S SAYING SOMETHING!!!! This summer, I'm making a home video of me riding bikes, playing frisbee and whatever else I can do, and give it to Dr. Bryant. Hopefully, I'll be so active that I can get back down to my svelte 145 lbs. and be in that commercial that Vicki promised me. I've even kept some "fat" photos so there will be a reference point. At any rate, people my age shouldn't have to suffer a lesser quality of life just because we're "young" and happened to get severe OA in our kneecaps!!! There is a surgery that can actually fix it and by golly IT SHOULD BE OFFERED!!!!! Oh, and Nancy, if you wanna print off my braggings for your doc, you go right ahead girlfriend! Make sure to tell him that not only am I better, but I'm THIRTY THREE YEARS OLD! (A young one for this kind of thing...)

Okay, I'll step down off my soapbox for now. I did try to post earlier, but someone knocked out the power cord to the dsl thingie and when I clicked post, I lost everything. Anyway, I'm really tired and I reckon I'll hit the hay. The kids have a bday party tomorrow at the skating rink in Chickasha and then I gotta go help my dad "do his meds", which means to put all the pills he takes in the morning into separate bottles and same with evenings...he takes 17 in the morning and 13 at night. So, anyway, ya'll take care.

Well, I see that my story is getting a bit boring...lol But here's my update.

Therapy today went well. We're worked on the back of my leg and my calf. Some strengthening and stability exercises and some stretches. I'm getting quite a good bend out of this thing now. I kinda wish Rob would measure my ROM more often, but I understand his theory of things. If he does measure me regularly, and I happen to go "backward" it wouldn't be good for me mentally. I know I am getting rather close to being able to kick myself in the butt, and that is something that Rob (at the beginning) said I'd never be able to do. I guess we'll see. I'm not sure I need to be able to kick my own butt, but I want to get as much bend out of this knee as humanly possible. I want to be a shining example of the benefits of this surgery. Also, of having an awesome surgeon and physical therapist. Those two make an awesome team and they've never even met.

I can (and do some) walk without a cane or any assistance. I told Rob that today, but he didn't seem too happy to hear it. I am guessing he isn't ready for me to be "taking chances", though he didn't say a whole lot. I'll be careful, I just take a few steps here and there without assistance, like from my bed to my bathroom, or from one end of the kitchen to the other. My house is small, no worries...except for those darned animals!

Did everyone have a happy Valentine's day? David and I went to Santa Fe steakhouse and then to see the movie Hitch, (GREAT MOVIE!). He bought me a dozen roses, a card, and a couple of cute stuffed animals, in the gift bag were a ton of Hershey's kisses w/almonds and some bite sized Hershey's dark chocolate w/almonds candy bars. I got him two cards..one just didn't say it all, and a really nice wallet. We really enjoyed ourselves.

I sure hope your appointment with your doc goes well! Just remember, he's not the only doctor in the world. There is someone out there who will listen to YOU and take care of YOU. Statistically speaking, I should have never had something this drastic done...it's the age thing...but Dr. Bryant LISTENED to ME, and paid attention to the actual MESS my knee was in, and decided to do this thing FOR me instead of paying attention to the darned statistics. And whodathunkit?...I AM SOOOO MUCH BETTER!!!!

Yesterday was 7 weeks. Remember, I had an episode early on with a subluxation which set me back. Now that had nothing to do with the surgery or the surgeon, it was simply a very weak quad and a kneecap which already had a tendency to subluxate. I'm doing quite well, as you can see, and I hope the best for you after you finally get fixed up!!!

Hey! I am home. Came home last Thursday the 10th. For some reason I haven't been getting notifications of postings and finally had time to sit and read all I missed the past few day. My bro-in-law had his trach tube taken out yesterday, his feeding tube taken out on Monday and is working on physical rehab. He is doing so much better than we ever thought he would. Still a very long rough road ahead but he is such a fighter.

I did my 1 mile Walk Away the Pounds just a bit ago. Been trying to do it daily. I actually walked outside on Monday. Only got in a little less than a mile but our little lake area is hilly so I counted that in! I was pretty sore yesterday but it was a good soreness. I still have a very large fatpad and a knot on the upper outside of my patella. They aren't sore at all but when I do alot of walking or am on my feet for a long time they swell pretty good.

Sounds like everyone is doing well...except Nancy...I sure wish that rooster juice would kick in and make you all better!

Hope this finds you all having a great Hump Day.....and YES - I too was a "hooker".

Keep your peckers up! And thank you all for the thoughts and prayers...they helped tremendously.

So glad you're back and doing so well. And what great news about your bro-in-law.

Way to go with the One Mile Walk. I'm sooooooo jealous. I plan to be doing that after I get on the other side of the op. I have a heart-to-heart scheduled with my OS March 2. Now, thanks to you dear kneesies, I feel so much more confident about braving the PFR.

So, glad to have you back!!!!! What's with this "fatpad" thing? I don't understand, could you splain it to me? I'm glad to hear you're able to walk away those pounds! I got a better exercise bike today. Doc wrote a prescription for it so we could get reimbursed through our FSA. I rode it, and I CAN GET FULL ROTATION! (And with NO pain!!!) I am doing SO well! It's almost like I should be knocking on wood or something in order not to curse myself for "bragging"! I never thought in a million years I'd be without that gosh-awful pain that I endured for over 2 years, and now, look at me go! My OS is extremely tickled as is my PT. The person who is most proud of me though is,......ME! I knew I could do it, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, after all of my research, that this was DEFINITELY the surgery for me and GUESS WHAT?! I was right, whodathunkit?

Kneesies,I have all of you kneesies to thank for the encouragement and support you have given and are still giving. I have my surgeon and physical therapist to thank for their hard work and especially Rob's dedication. My husband for finding this awesome surgeon. My Granny (God rest her soul) for whispering in Dr. Bryant's ear (it was her birthday) telling him to do this for me, that I come from good tough stock and I could handle it. See, he wasn't worried about the mechanics, and my knee met all of the criteria, but he was afraid I was going to wimp out on the PT part or the pain part. I'm tougher than most folks think, or give me credit for. It's just that I've whimpered for so long with that horrendous pain that everyone dubbed me a wuss. WELL I THINK I'VE PROVEN SINCE MY SURGERY THAT I AM NO "WUSS"!!! I had to endure more than most people, thanks to my idiot anesthesiologist and less than "yeehaa" care at Baptist, but hey, I made it through it and now look at me! 7 weeks post op and feeling 100% better than pre-op!

I will definitely say most of all THANK GOD for this surgery and for making this possible!! Look at me, it's like I'm giving an acceptance speech! I can't help it. I couldn't be more thankful! My "award" is I can bend and straighten my leg WITHOUT PAIN. When all is said and done, I know I'll be 100% with my right knee and then my LEFT knee will be the "bad" one! lol

I was listening to some line-dancing music last night. Boy, I sure do have the "itch". I wanna go dancing soooo badly, and I'm gonna. It's one of my many goals. David (a DEFINITE non-dancer) PROMISED me that we'd go this summer, and I'm holding him to it.

Okay, well, I've rambled on long enough. Sheila it's so good to see you back! Ya'll take care now! Therapy tomorrow with Carmen (Rob's on vacation). I'll post after my session with her.

It's a true success story and congrats on an excellent recovery! The work is always worth it in the end and you have proven that. I think you should consider posting under the "Success Stories" section of the board too. People cruise that section to hear the good stuff.

Sheila,

Glad you are back! I'm glad he is doing so well and that you could get back and settle in. I've missed your posts. Hope YOU are feeling well too. I'll bet the ice cleats were happy to get out of their box.

Nancy,

I know that your OS will respond to your "heart to heart" in a positive manner. It's inhumane to allow people to suffer when there is an option out there that can help. You know your stuff about this and will be able to present it in a manner that will blow him away! If that is not the case, I know a doctor in Montana that will fix you up! ;)

I'm taking off for a few days on a "Thank God I made it through surgery" trip. I am going with some gal pals to AZ for a few days of fun, food and shopping. Can't wait and am very excited. I will check in as soon as I am able too.

I've been reading this thread with great interest because I think I am a good candidate for a PFJR at some point in the next few years. I have a chondral defect behind the patella, but the femur and all the other bones are fine. Right now I have been told there's nothing else to be done. My OS isn't keen on doing a TKR (and neither am I) because only my patella is affected. I'm fine with no more surgery for now. But I know I'll need something more in the future, and the PFJR sounds like the perfect thing for me. Keep up the good information!

I do have a question, though. Does anyone know if it is possible to have this surgery with my patella baja and contracture?

That's a good question. I have no idea what that is, so it would be something to definitely run by your OS before considering PFJR. I do know that the overall knee health has to be good. I had grade four chondromalacia and isolate patellofemoral arthritis. All bones and ligaments were/are healthy.

Good luck!

Leta,

I posted my "success story". I hope it is a source of help to someone.

To explain, patella baja is when the patella tendon has shortened and thickened, pulling the patella lower toward the shin. Contracture is when the patella is pushed inward toward the joint. These both happen when scar tissue entraps the tendon/patella and is left there too long. My scar tissue problems have now been resolved, but the patella baja and contracture are permanent. Iam pretty sure my patellar defect has been caused by the patella rubbing in the wrong way, since it is not in the correct biomechanical position. The femur and all the other bones, ligaments, etc. are fine. The patella tendon has changed.

That sounds familiar. When I consider the mechanics of the PFR, having that condition would worry me a bit. You need to have good tracking of the patella, otherwise this surgery will not help you. Of course, I'm no OS, that would be something you definitely need to talk to your OS about before considering PFR.

Yes, not driving was a huge issue for me. I've been driving since I was 13..20 years, and I absolutely love it. I used to go on road trips, just for the driving part. Guess I should have been a trucker.. ;)

Therapy yesterday went well. My scar is extremely tender and causing me some grief right now, so Rob concentrated on straight legged strengthening and boy am I sore today! He's more like a personal trainer I think, cuz, holy cow my muscles hurt all over! lol It doesn't help that the rain has moved in, and my body has always responded negatively to changes in the weather. Oh well. Life goes on and I have a new knee! ;D

Nancy, I know that waiting and anticipating is awful. The time between when my OS said he would do the surgery and my actual surgery date was over six weeks and I was about to come unglued. It ain't fun. I'll be thinking about you.

Ya'll take care now, I really don't have any new news, I just wanted to check in.

I'm back! It was a blast and I had a splendid time. I highly recommend a "girl trip" to all the women reading this post! It was awesome. We did tons of walking and the knee held up fine. I was fatigued by the end of the day but it was a good feeling and I relished every minute of it! It was warm enough to swim in the outdoor pool also and that was a treat. Yup. It's all good! Tombstone was a hoot and our journey across the border into Mexico was also a riot. Can't wait to do it again!

Congrats on the driving Beth! I'll bet that was liberating. Since I had my left one done, I can't really imagine not being able to drive for six weeks! Must have been hard. I'm dreading having anything done with my right knee. With any luck, I'll not have to have the TTT along with it which will REALLY slow things down. Oh well. That's in the future for now.

Sheila, how are you? Glad to be home?

Nancy, hang in there and just keep thinking good thoughts about how wonderful it will be to walk without pain!

Yes, not driving will be a bummer but well worth it if the op does the trick. I'm lucky that my friends are usually willing to pick me up when I have a problem and my hub is around to drive too.

Yes, it's the waiting and the anticipation of the unknown that is getting to me.

And now I'm getting sharp pain in my so-called "better" leg all the way up into the hip and lower back. I guess it's overuse.

Leta,, your trip sounds like a hoot. My friends and I go on girls' trips for special birthdays. Nothing like it for letting our hair down and a lot of laughs. And what a ton of fun to have a new knee and be able to walk alll over! :D

Beth, thanks for the thoughts. Glad you are doing well. Maybe it's time for that road trip.

Nancy, trust me, if I had to endure another 8 weeks of not being able to drive in order to see these kind of results, I'd do it in a heartbeat. When my other bad knee is "ready", I will not hesitate the thought of matching 4 inch scars!

I'm still working really hard at PT. I told them today that I can definitely feel my quad trying to return. I explained that it was mostly atrophied away before I had this surgery, so I have alot of work to do, and every extra lift or push is a big feat for me. I'm doing three sets of 10 sraight leg raises on my back, three sets of ten on each side. Those exercises in and of themselves are a huge thing for me, of course, they aren't all I'm doing, but they are definitely the ones of which I'm most proud! lol It took forever for me to be able to do those! :P

I'm still having problems with my scar...don't really know what to do about it...imagine putting a piece of duct tape on your knee while it's straight...stretch that duct tape as tightly as possible on that straight knee, stick it really good, then try to bend your knee...THAT is what I'm dealing with...ugh. If anyone has any input on how to fix this problem, please speak up! :)

Okay, well, I'm watching CSI and can't concentrate on both at the same time. Ya'll take care and I'll check back tomorrow.

Indian food? How cool! It's probably better than the Rocky Mountain Oysters! ;)

On the scar tissue, I message mine all the time. I use a thera-band over my fingers and just work it in circles. I actually think it is helping to get the feeling back on the lateral side of the scar. I think I remember you mentioning this before, Beth, so you are probably doing that already.

I agree with Beth on this. Eight weeks of no driving is a small price to pay for a big dose of normalacy! (Don't know if I spelled that right, but you get my drift.)

Hang in there Nancy! Hopefully next Wed. will give you some direction!

Well guys, my doggone scar is so stinking tender right now I can hardly stand to wear pants of any kind. Anything touching it almost drives me insane. When I bend my knee I can feel something tugging on my tendon.

I was told that this may be a keloid scar...anybody know anything about them? What to do to fix it? I've read that a keloid is the result of "aggressive healing". Does that mean I just healed up too fast? I also read that a keloid is one that protrudes...well, it does a little, but that's not the problem, I'm not worried about aesthetics...ARGH!

BUT MY KNEECAP STILL DOESN'T HURT! ;D I walked around Wal-Mart today and did my grocery shopping. I think it was a bit too soon because of what I suffered afterward, but it felt good to not be the "kid" on the scooter. Elders usually look at me with a look of distaste when they see me on one.

I have a clicking/popping feeling with every step, but my mom (TKR) says she has the same thing and had to get used to it. It's not painful at all, so I guess over time, I'll get used to it too. It sure is better than suffering!

Indian food? Native American or Eastern Indian? Eastern, YUCK! Native American..well, if it ain't buffalo burgers..lol I do make a dang good Indian taco! (For those of you who do not know, that's homemade fried bread with a whole bunch of yummy toppings.)

I drove my car down to take the kids to their dad's and to go visit my parents..that was kind of a road trip. Round trip it was over two hours driving time. Had to test my reflex...my folks live in the boonies and as I was driving down their country road (about 55 mph in the dark, I know that road too well, gives me a false sense of security, I gotta slow down!) a HUGE raccoon darted out in front of me, I went from gas to brake and swerved over and back all in one motion and barely missed the stupid thing. As small as my car is and as big as that coon was, it might have done some damage! Them's cornfed boogers I'm tellin ya!

Oh, and what's a thera-band? I WAS massaging my scar every day, three times per day with the Mederma, but now I can't stand to touch it. Do I just suck it up and massage it anyway? Rob said it was irritated and even told me to stay off of my bike!

Okay, I've got a sore throat and need to take something for it and go to bed. Ya'll take care now.

Hi, sorry that you are having tenderness around your scar. Has your PT tried laser treatments? They usually help out with scars. Maybe he could try that the next time you see him. It certainly would be worth a try, and might give you alot of pain relief.

The theraband is a big, huge rubberband that PT's use for exercising. I use it for the massage because it grips the skin better than your bare fingers. If it's that tender for you, I think you'd go through the roof if you used a theraband! I'm no expert on scars, but I really think this will settle down for you in time. Don't panic yet. As long as you have full, or progressing, ROM, it's really a "surface" issue that will resolve itself without the need to "go under" again. It's when the scar tissue impeads your progress that they really get aggresive with it. You are doing too well for something like that. My TTT portion of the scar felt like a huge piece of duct tape over my shin for several months. It's just now starting to loosen up and feel normal. Either that or I'm just getting used to it!

On the clicking, it's the artificial surfaces that are clicking together. My OS told me that with fluid in the joint and weakened muscles, the thing will clank around for awhile until it settles in. Mine did the same thing and I know Sheila's did as well. I still get it sometimes but not as bad as when it was new. For God's sake, don't say anything to your OS because he will grab the knee cap and wiggle it around to show you where the sound is coming from! My OS almost earned a swift kick to the teeth over that one! It didn't hurt but it was NOT the best way to explain it to a person with almost debilitating "patellar apprehension"! ;D Good thing he's cute!

Thanks for the info regarding scar and theraband. I know what they are now. I've seen them every time I've been to therapy, I just never knew the name.

You must have missed one or two of my posts while you were away on your vacation.... It's too late, I already told my OS about the noise and he already showed me where it was coming from...just exactly as you put it. Only my reaction was different. I giggled because it was sooo weird to hear that coming from my knee and the fact that it didn't hurt at all was amazing to me. At any rate, my OS said the same thing.. pieces banging together..weakened muscles, all that jazz. It's just really annoying and the more I'm up on it, the more fluid builds up.

My shopping trip took me roughly an hour..all walking/standing/pushing a heavy buggy and I paid dearly for it..well, I'm still paying and that was a couple of days ago.

I did get up today and do a bunch of cleaning. It wasn't easy cuz, I'm not just battling an annoying and swollen knee, I'm battling what feels like severe allergies, one heckuva cold or possibly..I don't wanna say it..the flu. I'm calling the doc tomorrow morning to get an appointment.

Nancy,

Was your "keloid" that turned out not to be attached on the inside? Or was it just sticking out?

Shade,

Thanks for keeping up with my story and good luck on yours!! No, my PT hasn't said anything about lasers. I don't think they do anything like that. That would be a job for my OS I would think. But I'm not opting for it unless it gets unbearable and I can't bend my knee.

Kneegeeks,

Ya'll take care now. I gotta get ready to go fetch my kiddos from their dad's.

Hey all. I got a new computer last Friday and just realized a few minutes ago I forgot to sign in to the site again! Oh well, I am here.

First of all I'd like to report that my brother-in-law will be moving to a rehab hospital within the next couple of days. He is doing absolutely TREMENDOUS! The doctors have pegged him the Miracle Man. He'll be in the rehab hospital for all the PT for probably about 2 weeks before going home.

I have had some swelling and a little extra pain in the kneecap the past few days. The weather hasn't changed so don't know what to blame it on. I am still trying to remember to do my PT exercises which makes it hurt more but they still need to be done. I am sure it will go away soon but it is a pain in the keester to "regress".

Beth, the popping and clicking will eventually go away. It DOES feel pretty darned wierd to move the knee cap and hear it clanking tho, doesn't it?

Sounds like you are all doing well. Nancy, don't you go to the OS this week?

I wondered what it was llike to have a bionic part that moves around inside. But anything's better than the pain!

All,

Speaking of pain, did any of you have pain in your "better" leg going all the way up into the hip? When I get up in the morning it's the worst. I can barely move my hip, the pain is so sharp. I assume it's because my left leg is taking all the abuse but I wondered if this is common.

Leta, Cowgirl, how are things in Big Sky country? We have blankets of snow here, all very beautiful. So glad I have my Merrils, thanks to you! ;D

My next post should be a report on what my OS has to say. I want my life back!

Good luck Nancy! I hope it is a favorable trip to the OS! It should be over soon and relief in sight. Don't cha just love the boots?? We have no snow here but I still wear them. They are the most comfortable shoes I own.

On the pain thing, I have more pain in my other knee than in my hip, but I remember in the early post-op days, having my "good hip" hurt pretty bad at times. I think it is just overuse.

Sheila, So great to hear about your b-i-law! What a wonderful story and testament to strength. Hope it continues to go well. I know what you mean about the regression. It happens but it doesn't make you happy! >:( Are there any remarkable problems or do you think it's just reacting to new and increased mobility?

Leta,I still have a lump about the size of a large walnut just above the patella and my fatpad is HUGE. Soreness in the back of my knee (like a pulled muscle). I was walking with no pain at all up until about a week ago and now it hurts like the devil when I walk. Getting up out of a chair isn't bad but getting my leg going without being stiff is a biotch! I guess I'll wait it out for another week or so and see what happens. I don't feel like I did anything to distress it, but who knows?

So glad to hear the good news about your bro-in-law Sheila, but very sorry to hear about your knee problems! I wonder if you've just overdone it and need to take a little break?

Nancy, I hope your appointment goes the way you want today. I'm rootin for ya! I have accepted and embraced the prosthetic as part of the new pain free me. The clicking/popping feeling/noise is NOTHING. Even if it continues forever and ever, I'd MUCH rather have that than the pain I lived with before!

Shade, I printed off the info about that laser thing and forgot to take it with me to therapy, but I'm taking it tomorrow. And by the way, thank you!

Kneesies, speaking of therapy... I GOT 127 d. YESTERDAY!!!!!!! And the better news is that Rob said he can feel more "play" in it! It's already beyond what my doc expected and there's still more play in it to go even further!!!!

Well, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. I'll check back later to see if there's any news on Nancy!

Well hello all you kneesies! i hadnt had any notifications for ages, so thought I'd check in, and wow havent you all been busy! Now I see we have not been getting our notifications, particularily in UK...explains plenty!!!! ::)You are all doing SOOO well...fantastic work!Leta, you are the inspiration as always, so pleased you had great girly time out.Sheila, good news about you family, have been thinking about you.Elizabeth, I am now over the year, and I still 'click'. It is quite audible,and the family are used to hearing my knee before me! My OS says this is normal, some people have a louder click than others.

And talking about OS........

I saw mine for my year check up last week.Havent seen him for 6 months. I had a check xray before I went in, and he made no reference to seing me limping in! He was happy with the xray.Basically, he just said he expected I would have the pain and swelling for possibly another year, to keep trying to get my still non existant quads working, and he would see me in a year...goodbye, heres my bill for £80! ???

Still having the pain and swelling obviously.My OS wont explain, so blowed if I know. Oh well......

I am so glad that you have had your appointment! It sounds like the thing is where it should be so that is great news! You know, I am almost thinking that it sounds like an immune response? You're the nurse, what do you think? The fact that you are still swelling is puzzling. Have you taken Benedryl or any other antihistamine for anything else since your surgery? If so, did you notice any difference? Sometimes I know people can have a hard time with the old body accepting something foreign. Just a thought, but maybe worth a look-see. ;D Have you had any blood work recently? A CBC would probably give you a hint if it were to be immune related. Boy, wouldn't that just be the "bees knees" if you could figure that one out! I am just relieved that everything is in place and staying put! Cheers to you!! ;D (don't be such a stranger!)

Sheila,

Have you been doing your exercises? I find that if I miss my stretches in particular for a couple of days, I am feeling the muscles rebel. I'll bet the lump is swelling pushing out of the joint. Your fatpad issues may be enhanced by any swelling as well. I have forgotten if you have an exercise bike or not. I know that in the beginning, if I felt and saw the thing swelling up, a good round on the bike (about 10 minutes or so) would really clear it out of there. Anyway, just a thought!

Yes, it's a mighty terrific feeling and unbelievable to hear. I mean, when my OS tells me that he expects 125 to be the limit and I'm 127 with more to go, that is such an awesome feeling!!! When Rob said, "127", I picked up my head and looked at him in amazement and said, "you're kidding", he said he wasn't, I said, "no, really, what is it?", he laughed, he was serious! I said, "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" I mean to tell ya's, I was in SHOCK!!! I STILL AM!!! It just goes to show what hard work and perseverence in combination with an awesome OS and physical therapist will get ya! AND I AIN'T DONE YET! (somebody find me some wood on which to knock, I certainly don't wanna jinx it!) ;D ;D ;D ;D

Teresa,

I'm afraid I haven't heard of you nor seen your story. I'll see if I can find it, I'd love to hear all about it. I try to get all the different stories as I can. In my case, this was basically an experiment..well, I say "was"...it actually still IS an experiment. But I guess you know that since you read my postings. It's nice to meet you! ;D

Nancy, Oh Nancy, how was that appointment girlfriend!?

Okay, gotta run...teeheehee..that sounds so funny...will I ever run again? IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN. Never say never!! ;D

The OS says he's going to do both my knees :o--but not at the same time. The right one first. I don't have a date yet but it will be after we get back from Florida on 3/18. I will be his first but he's done over 400 TKRs and lots of other knee procedures and he said from a surgeon's point of view the pfr is an easy operation because it "uni-compartmental" -- dealing with just one compartment of the knee. He was very reassuring and even gave me a big hug ;D. He's pretty cute. He spent a lot of time with me answering my questions, which mostly came from this site. He was so impressed that he said, "Wait, I want to write all this down for a brochure I can give out to patients. He came back in and took notes! He said mine was the best set of questions he'd heard from a patient! Thanks to all of you. My hub was in the waiting room and when I came out and told him about the op, he wanted to ask my OS some questions of his own. Back in we went, even though there was a room full waiting, and he spent all the time needed to reassure my hub!

I told him Leta says I MUST have the femoral block. He was fine with that. And he said he uses the "new pain protocol" which is more effective than the "old." Don't know what the difference is, but let's hope it works well enough. ::)

Theresa,

Welcome back. I was thinking about you. Hope you find the answer to the swelling. Maybe you should be more insistant about getting feedback from your OS. Sounds like he rushed you a bit.

Leta

I couldn't have got this far without you. :-*

Beth

It's just fabulous how great you're doing. Hey, that means I can do it too, I hope!

That is such a bummer that you are having pain again! Maybe you did just pull a muscle. It can happen for no good reason. Hope it's better today

All Kneesies

Oh, I forgot to mention in my previous post that I am having the Avon, which seems to be what you all have. My OS also said he is working on the design of a new patella prosthesis he thinks would be more natural but it's not FDA approved yet.

Got to finish packing! Not sure if I will have access to email in Florida, so if you don't hear, picture me on the beach ;D

Nancy, I am so glad you are going to finally have this done. I know for sure that both Leta & I have the Avon. Don't remember about the others. I would be interested in you OS design of a more natural "joint". I have been working out in the yard today and haven't had much trouble with my knee. My fricking arms are beat tho....been raking dog poop! Pheew. Have a great time in Florida.

Yay! I'm (what my ex-sis-in-law used to say) glad at ya! I do not have the Avon like Leta and Sheila, I have the Vanguard. I don't know the difference. As far as I have been able to tell, they look the same to me. lol My doc said the same thing, about these being easier than TKR's because of them being unicompartmental.

Word of warning, make DARNED sure they give you EXACTLY what you ask for when it comes to anesthesia. I wouldn't want you to go through what I went through. As you probably remember from my postings, I was in pain HELL after mine. If they say intrathecal narcotics, RUN, don't walk to the nearest exit!!

And yes, if I can do this, ANYONE can do it, because I am a wuss. Just make sure you get all of the physical therapy you need and do your exercises at home too! :)

Sheila, I'm glad to hear your knee is feeling better today. Oh, the joys of having a dog... :-\

Doesn't it kind of make you mad when you realize how out of shape your body has become from the nonactivity? Being NWB for almost 10 weeks, my arms were like steel! I was restricted from lifting for 6 months, so after the crutches went bye bye, my arms turned to jello. Before my accident, I was doing no less than 100 pushups a day. Not the girly kind either...full plank pushups! Now I do 10 and I feel like I'm gonna die! It bites for sure. But on the other hand, aren't ya glad to be out there doing something? I couldn't even walk in our yard before my surgery. It was too uneven. Now it ain't no thang! I'm sure you could do without the dog poop, but at least you're doing it and not just supervising. ;)

I sure hope Nancy has a good trip! She deserves some time to collect before entering surgery land. She will need lots of thoughtfulness and support from those of us who have been there. I hope she doesn't have to wait too long for this. The waiting is the hardest part.

I hope you all are having excellent knee days! I think I'll go groom my horses today. It's been a long, long time and they look like nobody cares.

Yes, it makes me really mad that the summer of 2001, I was the same size my 13 year old daughter is now!!! If I hadn't gained all this weight, I could be wearing her cutesy little clothes! lol

I haven't posted in a few days and just thought I'd check in. I'm doing quite well..though I did have a fall the other day. For some reason my knee just gave on me and I went down pretty fast, with cane in hand. The lateral side of my knee has been hurting me some since then, but I think I just kinda turned it while I was falling. I'll be fine, the kneecap feels fine and theres minimal swelling.

I've been sick with this sinus crud for a while now and finally went to the doc yesterday and he put me on Ketek (antibiotics) for it and I called for a refill on my prescription guaifenisen with pseudoephedrine today. Hopefully I can get over this and feel better so I can get back into the groove of things. I've been feeling drained and not much up to doing all my exercises.

I sure hope Nancy is having a good time. I can't wait to hear about her trip. I bet not an hour goes by that she doesn't anticipate her upcoming surgeries! ;) Once you get a doctor to agree to doing it, it never leaves your mind!

I finally got this old computer online here in Florida :D I'm looking out the window at swaying palm trees, the pool and the Intercoastal Waterway. Trying not to think about the op, but, Beth, you're right, it keeps popping back in my head. :o It has just GOT TO WORK!

Leta, this inactivity is so depressing. I'm so glad to hear that you are doing normal (and not so normal --pushups, wow) things. Those mustangs will be so happy to see you.

Beth,I lost 26 lbs on Weight Watchers in a year, but gained 6 back. It's such a struggle when you can't exercise. Don'tcha just looove cute little clothes? Guess I'll never see those again. Or high heels. I have a gorgeous pair of Joan & David boots that I wore maybe twice before I realized it was suicide. I do love my Merrils but sheesh it would be nice to strut in style once in a while.

Sheila, how's it going,girl?

All,

My hub says he's going to be my "legs"for the next year. He's even going to learn to cook, and believe me, cooking is like rocket science to him. He's never cooked anything, not even eggs. Always had a woman (Mom, the college fraternity cook & me) to do it. When he lived alone, he ate dreadfully, eating out or heating up frozen pot pies. Once I asked him to put the turkey in the oven at 350 while I was out. He had to call his mom in California to ask if it should go on Bake or Broil,lol. ;D

I'm nervous as yell but looking forward to getting where you all are--kicking up your heels again! :D

Well, I went to PT yesterday and told Rob that I'm tired of the walking stick and he had me walk (with the gait belt of course) around the place, up and down stairs, had me do grapevines, walk backwards, side step, walk on my toes, and walk on my heels. I did it all quite well. The leg was a little shaky when I was done, but I was able to do it, that's what counts, right? Well, anyway, I'm released from the cane except when I'm going to be in a crowded place like the mall and then he wants me to have it so other people will be more careful around me because I'm not really strong yet. I get knocked off balance pretty easily. I'm getting around pretty good and I'm making a conscious (very conscious) effort to not limp. Of course, I do tend to limp, but it's not from pain, it's just from weakness, but if I try really hard I can almost walk normally. I'm quite proud of myself and now I know what the dog feels like when he gets to run around in the yard without his chain! lol FREEDOM!!! ;D

I'm taking the kids to see Robots this afternoon. Not exactly looking forward to being in a crowded theater with a million kids, but I haven't done anything with them in a while, so I'm braving it. lol

Sounds like things are going well for you! The cane will help the general public with figuring out that you're not all together fully recovered. Good idea. You'll be losing it all together very soon, I'm sure.

I have call into my OS to ask if the pretty severe sciatica in my left leg will inhibit my recovery and PT after he does the right knee. I suspect he'll say it will help the sciatica because the new patella will help restore normal mechanics. But I have to ask.

Beth,I forgot to answer you about my non-keloid. No, it wasn't attached. It's in the front of the neck so maybe it has nothing to attach to. How's your knee scar doing?

Leta,

Nothing like a hair cut and,for me, fresh color! :D Now how about a manny-peddy? I rolled a suitcase over my toe last summer in Montauk and have to wait for the new nail growing out under the ruined one before I can get a pedicure.It's a bit more than half there.

Just heard from the OS nurse to confirm my date of the 28th. :o Trying to stay confident and keep my pecker up!Thanks, all of you, for being there.

I know exactly what you mean. When I got my hair cut and colored I felt like a new woman! It is quite refreshing.

Nancy,

Congrats on the surgery date. I'll keep you in my prayers. My knee scar is still driving me a little nutty. My next appt. with my OS is the 25th, I'll talk to him about it then. I had access to computer in the hospital because my husband has a laptop and I just hooked the phone line from the hospital room into it and logged in to my ISP that way. I have SBC dsl, but they have dial-up numbers where I can access when away from home.

All,

Robots was an okay movie, the little kids really liked it. My 13 yr old and I were less than impressed. But the important thing was that we spent some quality time together and really had a good time. We ate popcorn and drank pop til we were all bloated..lol I braved the theater without a cane and did very well. My baby (8 yr old daughter) kept telling me how proud she was of my taking the stairs without a cane, walking around without a cane, going the distance in the parking lot without a cane, etc. She was FULL of compliments and wonder! lol I told her that it doesn't hurt, it's just weak, and she kept wanting to be my "cane"..I guess I can say she's a little overprotective of her mother. lol Then when we got home, she wanted to bring me my ice pack and tried to make me put it up on a pillow, just being a little mama. I explained to her that I was fine, and she made me lift my pant leg so she could look to see if it was swollen. lol She's something else.

I'm getting around really well without the cane. I'm working on mastering the art of faking a "non-limp". lol It's not going as well as I would like. My leg is just weak, but I have no pain. Just some discomfort in the scar. If anyone has any suggestions on building up a non-existent quadricep without injuring the new knee, I'd be happy to take all of the suggestions I can get! :D I'm just getting impatient that it doesn't seem to be building up. But then I just remind myself that it took a couple of years to atrophy, now it'll probably take about that to re-build it, and it may never be all I want it to be. It's just hard to accept. But I guess I'll learn to, Lord knows I've learned to accept my knee without pain! ;D

Well, I've rattled on long enough. Ya'll take care. I'll check back later.

Nancy,Just jumping on to say, I'm so glad you have a date for your surgery. I'm so happy that the PFR is going to be the answer to your situation. I'll be thinking about you, and watching your posts...

Maybe the 28th will be as great a day for you as it was for me! Yeah, a different month, but 28 is now one of my lucky numbers!!! ;D As far as those dial-up numbers, DON'T FORGET EM! lol We wanna know all the details and we wanna make sure you're getting the PROPER PAIN MANAGEMENT!!! At least your countdown is down to 13 days. I waited over six weeks after setting the date and it was gruesome having to anticipate it for that long!!! lol The closer the day got, the more questions I had and the more nervous I got. Now, if I'd have had a decent anesthesiologist and some pain management, it wouldn't have been worth sweating over, cuz really, it wasn't all that bad. I'm in awe of the difference it has made in my life in such a short time!

Kneesies,I'm bending it almost to the point of kicking myself in the butt, which is WAY beyond what was expected. I'm so proud and so happy! I have very little discomfort and I'm getting used to the clunking. In fact, I can't say that I've noticed it at all today..wow! Now, I'm gonna get up and walk and see if I notice it...hmm..yep, it's still there, but not as much or as loud, that must be why I don't notice it. I still get some fluid build up...what's weird is that it builds up more after I've been sitting for a while. Sitting or standing in one place for very long makes it achy, but other than that, it's all good folks! ;D After this week, I only have two more visits to PT and then I'm on my own! Just in time too, cuz Rob's movin' on to be the boss in another place! Not that there aren't any other good therapists where I go...but Rob is kinda the one who got me to this point! I give him most of the credit for this being so successful. (Of course, he couldn't have succeeded without my having had an excellent OS! lol) I suppose I should take a little credit...After all, I do have to cooperate with these guys! lol

I'm still looking for some help on building up this quad folks! HELP! :D I gotta go ya'll, take care!

Thanks for thinking of me. I couldn't have got myself to this point without you kneesies.

Leta and Beth,

Well, It's countdown time. I'm thinking of starting a new thread. Maybe we'll get more action.

All,

Something stupid happened today. My left big toe nail is coming off. I ran a suitcase over it last summer in Montauk and the new nail has been growing under it but it's not all the way up yet. But the old nail is just about off and there's bleeding. The reason I bring this up is that I'm worried this might be portal for infection in the operating room. I have an appt Monday with the foot doc after my pre-op appt, so I'm sure he'll dress it up properly. But should I tell my OS about this?

Hello to all! I am not really MIA, I have kept up with all the posts, just too lazy to post myself!

I have been doing very well. Working out in the yard when the weather permits....I even walked the mower the other day and enjoyed every single minute of it! I still have some swelling and occasional pain in the patella area mostly when getting up out of a chair or something like that. It isn't the piercing pain I had before the surgery tho. I am now about 5 1/2 months post op and guess I am going to be one of those who takes longer to heal....comes from age and too much weight I am sure! I'll get there, it is just taking longer than I had anticipated. DH and I are taking a trip to Colorado Rockies leaving this coming Saturday. He is going to ski and I'll drive to Central City and hit the casinos! There are probably 10+ families going out over spring break so we should have a great time! I won't be the only old fat lady not skiing so I'll have plenty of company. We non skiers can sit in the spring sun watching the skiiers and having our favorite drinks of pleasure! Yee Haw!

Nancy, I would certainly tell the OS about your big toe. They might want to pre-medicate with antibotics....I went in for a dental check the other day and the dentist gave me antibiotics even before the cleaning! He hated to risk the possibility of infection if my gums bled. Good luck with your surgery and keep us posted. I'll be thinking of you.

Sheila, baby! I've was just thinking about you! Glad to hear that it's all good! You are not taking a long time to heal. They say by a year, you MIGHT be there! Yes, age may have things to do with it, but it's still not even to the 6 month mark. Excellent progress, woman! Glad to hear from you and actually, winter has finally hit Montana. We are facing the worst drought on record and are just now getting the snow we should have gotten in January/Feb. Pretty scary, really.

Beth, sounds great! I got full range back too and was quite surprised. Are you biking yet? That still feels really good to get that motion and loosen the thing up. You are ready to be on your own now. You know what you need to do PT wise and you'll do it. It's kind of scary though...leaving the "safe haven" for the last time. I almost cried.

Well, folks, I'm leaving town for a few days so I'll chat with you when I get back. Here's wishing you all great knee days ahead! ;D

No, I haven't been biking yet. I'm kinda waiting til I get full ROM without any discomfort. It's getting there and I'm sure we'll be biking this summer. I do ride my recumbant exercise bike regularly though...a little different than an actual bicycle. I'm actually kinda not looking forward to being "on my own"..not going to therapy is making me a little nervous! lol But, I really am to a point now where I feel like I don't need outside help, though some suggestsions on building the strength in my quad would be nice. I'll get Rob to print me some stuff off when I go in this week. I'm also going to have him measure my ROM one last time.

Sheila,

I'm sorry you feel like you're not healing fast enough. Some bodies are just a little slower to heal. If it makes you feel any better, my incision is still healing on the inside..the itching is driving me nuts! Good luck in the casinos!!!

Nancy,

You should definitely tell your OS about the toe. It is a potential infection risk. Are you counting minutes yet? lol When I got within a week of mine, I was thinking stuff like, "well, at this time in 4 days I'll be under the knife"..."at this time in 3 days..." "at this time in 5 days I'll be learning how to walk again!" etc.. You really should start a new thread so folks will be drawn in. We gotta get the word out! Make sure we can find it! lol I'll be thinking of you all week. What's it ya'll say? Keep your pecker up!? lol (What's that mean anyway?)

Kneesies,

Not much new to post. I'm doing fine, walking more and more, getting around better and better. The main complaint is that it's still weak and the scar is irritable..oh, and the under the skin itching is a little unnerving... I do have some achiness if I'm on it for extended periods of time, but NO SHARP PAINS. No "real" pain is what I tell everyone, because before my surgery, now THAT was pain. Still thanking God I had this done!!! I go see my OS Friday the 25th for another post-op. What is it now, almost 3 months? WOW! Doesn't seem like that long!

Sounds like you are on track and doing fine. I'm 62 tomorrow and will probably take a little longer to heal than the young things on this board. As long as it does heal and I'm hoofin' it again.

Beth,

Great success story. I hope I'll be posting my success story in three months! Oh, keep your pecker up is a British expression (Keep your spirits up). Nada to do with a certain piece of anatomy ;D.

Leta, sweeta, miss you but you deserve a vacation! :D

All kneesies,

Had my pre-op this morning. All looks fine though don't have the blood back yet. I'm scheduled for first procedure in the morning on Monday the 28th. Next Monday--Yikes!!!!! :o

I went to the foot doctor and he said the new nail had grown in fine (though it still has a bit to go) and he took off the old, damaged nail. He said it was no problem as an infection risk with the surgery because they cover your feet with plastic gloves anyway. After that I went to the OS office and ask to see the nurse to ask a few more questions. She came out and I asked if I should be donating my own blood just in case. She called the OS at the hospital and he said no, they use a tourniquet so there shouldn't be much bleeding. Can you believe that the nurse did not know what a touniquet was? I'm glad she isn't going to assist in my surgery!They also test your blood for clotting during the pre-op exam. She also asked him about the toe nail situation and he said no problem.

Question: Did you buy your own hand held shower thingy and install it beforehand? Or did they prescribe it before you left the hospital and they send someone to install it with the other stuff you need?

Did any of your surgeons use a first assistant during the surgery? They have to get special permission from the insurer for that--otherwise I have to pay. He uses his office physician's assistant.

I'm still nervous but less so than I was because I have answers to some of the niggling concerns I was worrying about. But, wow, am I glad I won't be hanging for weeks on end, like Beth did. That would really freak me out!

Another question please! I've read in some of the posts that patients are sent home with a catheter for pain in some cases. Is that an option for the pfr? Also, they talk about an "ice machine." Anyone have experience with that?

I wasn't sent home with a pain catheter, in fact, I never had one at all. I didn't have an ice machine, though I know what one is. It really wasn't necessary. I was proactive in buying things like ice packs and stuff before surgery. I have one that actually is a heat/cold gel pack that you put in a strap on cover..it's neat and it works for more than just your knee! As far as the hand held shower thingie, I already had one. They are easy to install, simply get some pliers or vice grips or channel locks and unscrew your shower head and screw on the handheld..nuttin to it. I have a shower bench, raised toilet seat with handles, reachers (little pincher thingie that helps in picking stuff up off of the floor or whatever), crutches, walker, wheelchair, and cane. My husband took the frame from under the bed so that the boxsprings is on the floor (I have one of those mattresses that is UBER thick, so when the whole bed is up on a frame I need a stepstool to get on it..and I'm 5'9"!), so, anyway, we were pretty well ready for this. Of course, I had foot surgery just 3 months before my knee surgery and had alot of that stuff from when I had that. The rest I knew to get because I've had two other knee surgeries and remembered what I needed then. I don't know what a "first assistant" is. My doctor's own RN was in the operating room, then just the surg techs and other OR staff. I'm glad to hear that your toe is okay. I was told that I couldn't have my knee surgery until my foot was completely healed up because it's a portal for infection. Feet tend to get infected and if that gets into the bloodstream, then it can get into the prosthesis and cause infection and could potentially lead to loss of limb or death. They scared the crap out of me! So, I waited 3 months and 3 days after my last foot surgery to have the knee done. It was totally healed. I had no bloodwork done until the morning of my surgery. They were concerned that I might have a sinus infection, if it had been an infection they were going to postpone my surgery, thank goodness it was not bacterial! I had enough time to anticipate the thing, I couldn't imagine having to wait even longer! I didn't lose much blood..in fact, it was less than 100 cc, and I'm a bleeder! When I prick my finger to check my sugar, the sucker bleeds for half the day! So, that oughta tell ya a little anyway. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I never realized Sheila, that you are only two years my senior. You make yourself out to be on the downhill slope! lol But I guess if the saying is true, "you're only as old as you feel", then we are all old folks at some time or another. Lord knows my 33 yr old body has been feeling rather "old" lately!

Well, the knee has begun to be in a little pain. I hate to even say it, cuz it's kinda scary, but I know that I've been really blessed so far, and this is probably just a bump in the road. I see my OS Friday. I'm sure it's just healing pains. It's been bad enough though that I can't sleep at night. This started just a few hours after my last posting! Hope I didn't jinx myself. Still though, the pain isn't like my pre-op pain. Though, it is certainly enough for me to want something for it. But, on a scale of 1 - 10, I'd say at it's worst it's around a 5, so that's not bad I guess, just a little unnerving.

I'll keep ya'll informed. Take care. Hang in there Nancy, just a few more waiting days!!! ;D

Nancy....if you weren't nervous I would think you enjoyed getting cut on! I was nervous as well but very anxious to get it overwith! You will probably wonder for awhile afterwards why in the heck you did it but passing time will make you very happy you did!

Do you have everything in order for when you come home? I didn't have a hand held shower....just sat on my little stool in the tub, soaped up and turned the shower on me!Not REAL convenient but it worked.

The OS nurse told me that the discharge person at the hospital will arrange to have all the stuff I need go home with me. She wasn't sure about the handheld shower and she's supposed to be finding that out and call me. When I had a sudden fall on the ice in 1996 and had to have my ankle reconstructed, that's what happened. I certainly wasn't prepared for that!

My main concern is pain coverage at the beginning especially.

I'm feeling a little almost weepy. I suppose that's normal since it will happen in three days. On the bright side, my girlfriends are taking me out for a birthday dinner Friday night. :D And they've all said just holler if you need anything. They are even planning to take me to a museum in a wheel chair! My hub is also all set to take care of most things in the house and drive me to PT.

If I could only somehow relate how much better you are going to feel!!! I do understand your anguish. Sometimes it's hard to believe that it's really me that has had to go through all this stuff. Even though I was confident in what was about to happen, I cried all the way to the hospital when I had mine! Sometimes a girl just can't help it. It will be good, I'm sure. Take your girlfriends up on the offer. When you are feeling down, tell them you need a lunch with the girls and enjoy every minute of it! I am sensing that you are somewhat of a control freak, like I am. It's hard for us to be "out of control" but that's pretty much what it amounts to. I am controlling more so about my own situation, not so much with others. I just hate it when things are totally out of my hands!

I think it's time for you to forget what you are going to need and just enjoy your time with your husband. Besides, you need to butter him up so that he's all ready to pull the load for a couple of months. ;D You are probably about as ready as you're going to be. If you don't get the shower head, it's no big deal. Your hubby can grab one at WalMart and have it on the shower in 5 minutes! It's no big deal, really.

I really think that your pain issues will not be as big as you are imagining. Yes, it hurts, but it's NOTHING compared to what you endure on a daily basis now and at least you have an end in sight! There is something to work towards. It's a different type of pain. If there can be such a thing, it's a good pain! I think it's all a matter of having hope as opposed to being in the depths of dispare. It's a hopeful pain. :-\

Anyway, take care and try to focus PAST this thing. You'll be alright, I'm sure.

Amen Leta! I was anxious about the surgery. I even had some really bad times in the hospitals...BUT, like you said, it was a "good" pain. And what I mean by a "good" pain (I can't speak for ya'll), is that I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Even those first two days when I was in pain HELL, I knew that I knew that I knew that I knew that it was the lesser of two evils. I could either live with the post-op pain temporarily or live the rest of my life with the "broken glass" in my knee. It's all in your state of mind, really. What I found to be the most helpful in keeping a positive state of mind is...SLEEP! Those darn nurses kept me awake the whole time...(I now know why..I'll get to that in a minute)..but being kept awake was making me stay in a negative fog. My husband..thank God for him!...kept reminding me why I went through with this and that it was just temporary. Yeah, I could have received better care, but hey, sometimes we have to pay for the positive outcome!!

As far as having things at home "ready", it just helps with the transition, I wouldn't say that it's an absolute necessity, and having it ready beforehand would really be more helpful for the caregiver than the patient the way I see it. I was just really glad we were totally prepared.

How am I doing...well...I'm what we autoimmunes call, "having a flare up". I have Lupus and my face has the tell-tale rash, I hurt all over like the flu, and I'm swollen. That's summing it up. I also have a cough that I can't seem to shake which I think is completely irrelevent to the Lupus flare. At any rate...I'm having pain in my new knee and I see Doc tomorrow. I'm sure he'll take pictures and tell me it's fine and that it's just the disease making me hurt.

On another note... I ordered my notes from the hospital. Apparently, I was having significant respiratory problems after surgery which is why they had to keep waking me up. My oxygen sats were low and I was on oxygen. Every time I would fall asleep, they would drop even lower. In the notes it attributes it to the morphine, which I guess is why I had to be in so much pain. UGH! At least now I know they were trying to keep me breathing, not trying to torture me. But I STILL think that I would have been fine if Dr. Yasuda (the anesthesiologist) would have given me an EPIDURAL instead of the intrathecal narcotics. (The hospital insists that those two terms are interchangeable..but if they are, then why did he agree with me in pre-op that the bottom half of my body was going to be completely numb???) OH WELL. I can complain til the cows come home, it ain't gonna change the past. At least I have this one behind me and I know what to expect and what to ask for next time! :)

Nancy, I agree with Sheila, if you weren't nervous we'd think you were a glutton for punishment! lol I'll be honest and tell you that, for me, this was no picnic, BUT, the worst of it only lasted about two weeks. What's two weeks in exchange for a lifetime? My mom went through alot with her TKR and her THR but like me, the worst of it was only about two weeks and then it was easy. I'm not saying that learning how to use your leg again is easy, but knowing that you're going to be so much better than before makes it easy to endure. Again I say, it's all in how you think. Think positive, even when it's hurting like the dickens and you think you'll never be able to lift it up under it's own power again, think positive. We've all been there and we'll be here to encourage you and push you forward and remind you again and again that you're gonna be so much better!! ;D

I'm so thankful I live in these modern days of science where we can get the broken stuff fixed!!! Can I get an amen?! ;D

Thanks for all the good words. I'm feeling so much more positive today. I don't know what I'd do without you guys!

Leta, you're right. I HATE being out of control. But I know Dr. K will be IN CONTROL and I do trust him.

Beth, so sorry to hear about the lupus flaring up. I don't know much about it except that it is autoimmune. When I was 34, I was diagnosed with MS. Turned out they were wrong, thank god. Later, a neurologist said that I must have had a virus in my spinal cord that caused vertigo and weakness. I do hope the lupus isn't too bad. I think I heard that patients can have long periods of remission.

Well, the "girls" are coming to pick me up soon for my birthday dinner. They won't tell me where we are going! ;D I think that means it's a really special place.

I went to the OS today for my three month check up. I have good news...and I have...more good news! ;D And that's the news. lol He took pictures, messed with it and told me that it looks good, works good and he expects it to outlive his career..lol He said he'd probably be retired before I ever need anything more done to it. I told him not to worry, he'd get to work on me again cuz he's doing the other one when it comes time and he said, "let's not put a rush on that, okay?" I laughed and told him not to worry cuz I don't want it done until the pain gets to be unmanageable. They were tickled to see me walking unassisted. He said that I've just opened the door for others in my position. Not bad enough for a TKR but in enough pain to merit needing SOMETHING done. He said that other than my age I met every single criteria for this surgery. He also said that it's not often you find someone who is in a situation where they meet all the criteria for something like this. He talked to us for a little over ten minutes and sent me on my way for six months. I go back to see him in September. Ain't that grand?!

Nancy,

I'm glad to see you're in better spirits today. Enjoy your night out with the girls.

My guess is that the pain you have been experiencing lately is coming from the increased activity as you heal. Full recovery is a roller coaster ride with some days being better than others. Since I had one failed surgery prior to the "Full Monty", I was gripped about everyday that wasn't just perfect! As time went on, I realized that if I adjusted something or just rested more, things would be back on track again in a day or two.

I'm feeling all edgy waiting for Monday morning. Now I just want to get on the other side.

Leta, Beth, Sheila, All

I forgot and took one Aleve this past Thursday. It didn't dawn on me till today--Saturday--that I'd done that. I'll tell my OS at the hospital but I'm hoping that one little Aleve four days before the op won't be a problem. I guess they are worried about bleeding. What do you think?

I don't think 1 Aleve will keep you from having surgery! I'm sure you are on edge this weekend but just think...by this time next week you'll be all finished and hopefully at home enjoying being waited on.

I had to have my eyes dilated this morning to check for glacoma....that was at 8:30...it is now 12:45 and they are still blurry and kinda numb. Very wierd feeling. Guess since I can't see to do housework I will go take a nap! ;D

About the Aleve...I'm with Sheila. Won't have any effect whatsoever. On the wine, I was fairly careful, but a glass probably won't be huge. What time is your surgery? My OS said no alcohol 24 hrs. prior to surgery. If you do, remember to drink lots of water with it. The dialated pupils sounds like a bummer! I've never had that but I'd take a nap too!

The time draws near...It will feel soooo good to be on the other side! Enjoy your Easter dinner and next year, you'll be looking back and laughing! ;D

I had several glasses of wine the day before my surgery.....courage in a bottle!

We don't have a big Easter planned. All the kids & grandkids go to their own church in their own towns and then kind of scatter. I imagine if it is decent hubby will be on the golf course. If it is REAL nice, I'll join him.....I am definitely a fair weather golfer. We COULD go to a family reunion of Tom's mothers family. I doubt we will go....it is a huge family and we don't even know anyone anymore. We would go if his Mom was still alive but since she passed away last year there isn't anyone to yell at us if we don't go! :)

Leta, way to go with not cooking this year!!!!! 8) I used to be the avid gourmet cook--nothing was too complicated or unusual. As long as it tasted good, I'd make it. After all these years of banging those pots and pans, I suddenly didn't feel like it anymore. What do I prefer to make for dinner? Reservations! ;D

Sheila, I'm really pushing the water. That's got to be good for me. I will have that wine tomorrow. And then a gallon of H2O.

Not a peep from Nancy. I am thinking that she is probably being released today, so maybe tomorrow we will hear. She wasn't sure if she'd have a computer in the hospital and I think I remember that they were going to keep her a few days. I have been thinking of her too and hope it went well.

Glad to hear you are all doing well! Geez, Sheila...you're golfing! That is truly awesome and very inspirational for the rest of us. Good girl and I couldn't be happier for you!

Home, Yay!!!!!! All is great so far. Not much pain. I am skooting around on the waliker. The physical therapist is on his way here so I have to make this quick but will catch up in detail later. I can't believe how welll this has gone so far!!!!! ;D Ok, he's pulling in so more later, all you loves :-* :-* :-*

Leta, Sheila, Beth--so good to be home ON THE OTHER SIDE! I'm amazed at how well I'm doing and hope this will continue. PT guy said my ROM is 90-95 today. I can't do an SLR unassisted, but hey, that's par for the course, right. I can skoot around with the walker inside.

The hospital at night was horrible. Grand Central Stationl Not a wink of sleep. So I'm exhausted. I should be able to post more details tomorrow. There were a number of things to talk about. But the surgeon did a great job and I'm on my way--- thanks to all you dear kneesies. I would not have got up the courage without you!!! :-*Nancy

Nancy, I am SO impressed with your ROM! I think when I left the hospital I was around 70-75! Sounds like you are doing great. Yep, those hospitals at night aren't to whoopy. I slept better during the day than I did at night. In fact I had visitors during the afternoons that couldn't wake me up! I am sure they laughed at my snoring and drooling!

Can't wait to hear all the details. Get a good night sleep tonight and ENJOY being home.

I am looking forward to hearing how you are doing as well. I am a newbie here but having a PFR on April 18. My husband said that he is going to get the computer up in our bedroom so I will be able to post also. All of you are SO HELPFUL! I do appreciate all the input and advice I have been getting.

To all.....looks like more of us PRJR'ers are turning up! Isn't this site the best? I am within a few days of being 6 months post op. I still have some swelling - mostly a golfball sized knot above and to the outside of my patella. I have popping first thing in the morning but it doesn't cause pain...only discomfort and only lasts for a few minutes till I get warmed up! I also still have "pulling" over the top of the patella. Other than that, I am walking almost normally, playing a little golf, and doing some yard work. I would love to be able to kneel on the fake knee but that isn't a very comfortable feeling - hurts like hell actually! I am looking forward to the day when I don't even remember I had surgery, but I am sure that is still down the road a few months.

How much walking are you able to do? I would love to get back to camping with my husband but for the past 1 1/2 years I haven't been able to do much of anything. I am surprised that it does take that long to recuperate. I guess it is better than where I am at now....having a lot of discouraging days, especially lately, where I am having much pain and watching many DVD's and doing LOOOOOOOOOOTS of knitting. Julie in Duluth

I am able to walk about a mile....hilly mile at that. It isn't real comfortable to do that but I try to make myself. Plus I try to do the Walk Away The Pounds tape...I've done 2 miles with that. Of course I swell after I walk so I need to sit and ice for awhile but I had been so inactive for the year before my surgery that I'll take what I can get. I really thought by this time I would be totally painfree, but that's not the case. It takes a long time to recover completely plus I have alot of extra weight which doesn't help matters. I am totally looking forward to camping this summer and enjoying it more!Sheila

Hey Nancy! It's so glad to hear from you again! Hope you get some good sleep! And hey! Congrats on that awesome ROM!!!! I didn't get a 90 degree bend for weeks!

Julie, do you mind if I ask your age? I'm so sorry you are in so much pain. Are you on anything for it?

The rest of ya's. I'm still one sick puppy. I'm going to the good ol doc tomorrow morning. Apparently there is a bunch of crap floating around and I must've caught it. I sure hope I don't get infection in my knee! I'm paranoid about that sort of thing. Anyway, ya'll take care and have great knee days!

I am 46. I suppose that is part of the reason why it has taken them so long to do anything. They wanted to make sure shots wouldn't work as well at PT. It has been an awwwwwwwfully long year and a half. Many, many tears from being just so dang discouraged. One day I was able to walk anywhere and do anything...then next day I was pretty much chair bound. I went from Sept-March before I even had my first surgery to repair meniscus (sp?)tears which were so painful that I had to sleep with ice packs at night just so I could rest. Deep down I am concerned that this won't help. I try not to think that way but it has been pretty awful the last 1 1/2 years. I guess I am whining lol. And I think I answered your question....I am 46 :)

Your situation and my situation sound so similar, it's scary! Walking one day, immobile the next...one failed surgery...Synvisc shots...lots of tears of discouragement...on and on. Yup. Been there, done that! It's amazing. The only thing you didn't have that I did was a scheduled surgery for a TTT alone that was cancelled 2 hours before it was supposed to start. (There were some words flying along with the tears on THAT one! ;D)

I, too, had shades of doubt that there was anything in the world that could help me. After all, I had worked the thing as much as possible in the 18 months after my accident and tried everything I could, including surgery. I researched this procedure (and the TTT since I knew it would happen along with the PFR) and I realized that if I was going to get ANYTHING back, I was going to have to trust this OS and let him do this. I don't mean to discourage you any more than you already are, but being realistic, you may never get to where you were before your accident. For me, that was a source of great sorrow at first. But, as time (and the leg!) dragged on and I was able to do less and less, I was willing to settle for any improvement. I guess what I'm trying to explain is that I've been where you are. It's no fun and you feel very conflicted.

Even with the difficult rehab of the TTT along with the PFR, I would do this again in a heartbeat! I may never ski the double black diamond ski runs, kickbox, run 5 miles or backpack again. But I can walk without pain, ride a bike, mess with my horses, do yard work, shop for hours, day hike, etc. The extreme stuff is gone, but living life is back and that is precious! Sometimes you just have to take that leap of faith in order to get some where. Especially when you feel your back is against a wall and you don't know what to do next. I have a ton of faith in this procedure, as do others who have had it.

We have a saying on this thread that we got from Julie in Sydney, keep you pecker up! Although it doesn't sound like it, it means keep your spirits high! ;D You CAN do this and it WILL help you. You can't live like this, so where do you go from here? Please don't ever feel bad about venting your frustrations and worries here. That's why we are here! You're in good company with folks who know where you have been, where you are right now and where you are going. Hang in there!

It is SO nice to have somebody that understands. I read that and just cried. I am sad that I am not going to be back to 'normal.' But I will just be happy to do everyday stuff and not to have to depend on others to help me go shopping and that sort of thing. My husband and children have been so understanding and really have been helpful. But they can't help my feelings of, "I want to do it myself." I want to be the one helping others. So many things have been taken away....hopefully temporary. It is hard letting go of things. I remember after my injury and I FINALLY was able to have surgery that I was SO SURE would make me COMPLETELY better....and my husband tells me after the surgery, "I have some bad news." And then proceded to tell me how bad me knee was. I guess I really am hoping beyond hope that this surgery will help....but I am scared I will go through it all and still be not much better than I am. Well anyway.....this message board is full of kind people and I really appreciate it so much your understanding and caring. It means SO MUCH just to know that somebody really understands. Thank you Julie in Duluth

Believe me, having one failed surgery alters your mental preparedness for everything that happens next! It really does mess you up when it comes to "thinking positive" and all that jazz. I had the very same fears. Do I wish I could have been "all better"? Yes. Is that realistic? No. Sad but true. You will be so happy when you can do things like care for your family, shop for Christmas presents, walk to the mailbox, etc. that it will all seem to have been a very bad dream! Life sometimes gives you lemons, but the lemonade you can make with them can be oh so sweet! ;)

The knee is still doing well--minimal pain, mostly right after doing the exercises, then I ice. Not bad at all--so far. I feel really lucky.

Yesterday was a lost day. They gave me oxycodone in the hospital which fills your bowels with hardened plaster. After four + days of "no go" I had horrible abdominal cramps and thought I was about to burst. I finally broke it with an enema but then I had vomiting and the runs for about 12 hours. What a way to lose weight! I'm hoping I never have to take that stuff again.'I'm still weak and shaky but plan to start a new thread with the whole tale as soon as I feel up to it.

Julie, take heart. It all takes time. I procrastinated on this op for years. Now I wonder why. Of course your failed operation took its toll. I'm hoping you have the good results I'm having so far. I came home from the hospital and waited for the horrific pain to hit. It didn't happen! :DI have far less pain. And it's a good pain. It feels like healing. I'm skooting around on the walker and doing the PT.

Stick around with us kneesies! Leta is a fabulous source and a truly wonderful person. :-* We're all here for you!

It seems as though the docs fail to tell you SOMETHING along the way! The nurses warned me about the constipation problem, thank God. Luckily, I was able to keep the oxy's to a minimum and didn't have to struggle with that. So sorry you had to deal with that Nancy. No wonder you're weak!

Gosh, the knee sounds like it's doing great! As for pain meds, I only used the oxy (one of them, not two) at bed time to help me sleep. It seemed like it ached more at night than it did during the day. During the day, I took Motrin mostly. It's a pretty high dose...800 mgs. I think, which equals 4 over the counter tabs. You might want to call your OS and see if there is anything else he would recommend. There might be some Ex-lax/Vicodin combo... ;D No, seriously, he might be able to prescribe something different.

I am so proud of you, Nancy! You are through the worst of the expected painful period and it's all healing and resting for awhile now. Great job and we will be waiting to hear your full story soon. I'm dying to know if you had the fem cath!

Hey Nancy....it sounds like you are doing awesome! I am just hoping that I do as well! I would also like to know if you had a femoral cath. I called and asked my doctor and he said that he doesn't do those. I should have asked why but I forgot as there were a few other questions that I asked. I am just looking forward to HEALING! And it IS very encouraging hearing about your recovery. I know that my muscles are probably pretty weak after sitting so much the last year and a half. Were you very active before you had your surgery? I was just wondering if sitting around so much will cause my recovery to be slower. Leta....thanks too for your kind words of encouragement. I have my bad days and good days. Lately I have been so sore. I have loritabs to help with the pain but I hate to take them too often...so I pretty much take them at night so I can try to get some rest. Although I haven't been doing too much of that either. My husband is going to get my computer up in our bedroom. I wish that we had a laptop....that would be so handy. But, speaking of handy.....so is my husband and he has it all worked out. God bless and I'll be readiing you later. Julie in Duluth

I really don't think it's going to be that bad for you to sit at the computer to post. You'll probably be like Nancy and mostly just tired that first week. There are a couple of things I would get to help you out in the early going: I would get a shower chair (I've heard of folks using those resin lawn chairs which are cheap), a hand help shower head (about $20), and if you don't have a good way to lower yourself onto the toilet, a toilet safety frame or at least a raised toilet seat. Those three items will help you out in the first few weeks. The benefits of a good, long shower are too numerous to count! As are the benefits of effortlessly getting to the throne! ;D

I definitely wish I could have had my PFR and TTT right after my accident as the wasting of the quad has made it a bit longer of a recovery. In my experience, it's pretty mental as prior to surgery, everytime my quad fired, it hurt. Therefore, I had to recondition myself so that the quad firing wasn't such an aweful thing. It's called "guarding" in the PT world and it's something you do involuntarily. It takes some time for the body and mind to realize that the pain is gone and it's ok for the quad to fire. I found that the calf, butt and hamstring came back easily, but the quad is a tough one. Your PT will have little tricks (like and e-stim machine that "helps" you quad fire) if your quad is stubborn. Don't sweat it as your PT will help you out. As soon as I could, I started doing Pilates and that helped the rest of my leg out tons, plus gave the other one something to do.

Your pain will be different post-op, but not nearly the bad nagging kind of pain you are dealing with now. Since your OS says that he doesn't do the fem cath, I'd really press him on pain management right now, before the surgery. Will you be seeing him again before D-day?How long are you going to be in the hospital? If you can talk him into the fem cath, I would try and do so. I had NO oral or IV meds in the hospital at all except for an occasional tylenol. The fem cath handled it all.

You have some good advice :) I will call my doctor tomorrow and ask him about pain management. I am a little nervous about that anyway. I had the worst experience when I had my surgery last March. I was sick after surgery......not sure why as I haven't ever gotten sick before. It was an outpatient surgery. They took out my IV when I got out of recovery. I was so sick and therefore didn't even keep any pain meds down. I asked for something for the nausea and they said that the doctor didn't order anything, besides I had my IV out. I asked them why they took it out then....well anyway. I got home that evening and was in pain and throwing up all that night and ended up calling my doctor the next day where he gave me somethng for the nausea. I told him about it and he said that they should have called him....and wasn't too pleased. I just want to make sure that it won't happen again. I know that this isn't outpatient so hopefully it will be different. I will be dismissed from the hospital on the third day after my surgery. I won't be seeing him again before my surgery but they are so good to answer my questions over the phone. I talked to them about any equipment that I would need and they said they will discuss that in the hospital before i go home. I have access to a walker, a toilet seat raiser thingy :) , a shower chair and my husband said he will get that hand held showernozzle for me. As far as the computer goes.....we have a basement which is where the family room and my office is which has the computer. Would I be able to go down the steps okay? If so, I will just not have him monkey around with moving it. Thanks for all your help!!!!!!! Julie in Duluth :)

Still very tired but on the upswing. I was able to do an SLR yesterday unassisted ;D. I was so proud.

I told the anesthesiologist in the hospital that my OS had promised me the femoral cath. He said he didn't do that. My OS came over and said he would do that. I think he was humoring me. I didn't feel all numb after the surgery. But the pain wasn't at all bad. They were dripping stuff from the IV. I had the impression there was pain stuff in there? Then they gave me the awful oxycodone and percacet. So I don't know.

About nausea: in the hospital they added an extra drip bag when I complained about that.

Leta, they never had me wear the ted hose. They had me on a sequential compression machine in the hospital. And I have to inject myself in the stomach for 7 days (it's really only a pinch and easy to do) with these pre-made syringes that have Levorox?? (spelling?) which is meant to avoid a stroke.

About stairs: at the hospital, the made me do stairs with two crutches which Steve, my PT guy, says is ridculous and dangerous. Use one crutch and hold onto the bannister with your other hand. My hub accompanies me on the stairs up and down once each day usually, standing in front of me on the way down and in back of me on the way up.

I'm now finding that the crutches are better than the walker which catches on everything around the house.

The shower is the highlight of my day! I swear, no matter how I wash and use aromatic body wash, I can still smell the hospital! That's receding though. ;)

Julie405--you will be in Healing Mode before you know it! Be of good cheer. You have good things ahead! :D

Kneesies, hope you're having a great day. There is light at the end of this tunnel!

My goodness Nancy! I'm so jealous of you! You are having such an easy time of things compared to me. It was weeks before I could do an SLR. Your pain seems to be alot more manageable too. I'm jealous but oh so happy! I wouldn't want anybody to suffer. Congratulations on your success story! (knock on wood) ;DOh, and I really feel for you and having to go through the constipation nightmare. I did too and it was awful!

Julie, If you have hand railings, you should be able to do stairs one at a time. Try not to be afraid of the pain management, but be warned, it causes constipation. Small price to pay I guess for some pain relief. By the way, on what day is your surgery scheduled? I guess I've missed your posting. I really wanna keep up with everybody and make sure I do my part in encouragement because I know how much Leta, Sheila and Nancy helped me!!! (High five girls!) Think positive thoughts and you'll be on the other side with us in no time! ;D

Kneesies,I'm finally over the worst part of this flu. I'm still somewhat congested, but overall I can feel a huge difference. WHAT A RELIEF! My knee is complaining that I'm not using it enough...well, that's cuz I've been laying around wrapped up in a blanket for over a week. Anyway, speaking of my knee, it's fine though the kneecap looks like it's off to the side a little when it's bent. I guess if there was a problem though, Dr. Bryant would have addressed it on the 25th when I was in last. Oh well, it doesn't bother me and it is not popping out of place so I won't fret about it. I'm now officially 3 months out from my surgery and yesterday was mine and hubby's 3rd anniversary. (He's in Mississippi for seven level school, which sucks. He should be here with me, but we'll make up for it.) He had delivered to me a dozen red roses with three pink mixed in. The three pink were for our three married years of course. They are beautiful. I took pictures they were so gorgeous! I'm not usually one for flowers, but these were really special. Anyway, enough about flowers lol, how are ya'll doing? Isn't it nice to be pulling for and encouraging these our new, new knee friends? I'm so glad to be on the other side!!! I can't wait til my new knee isn't new anymore and I sometimes forget it's even there. Those will be the days! ;D Well, I'm just rambling on about nothing and I need to try and eat some soup. Ya'll take care!

Hey there :) It is good to know about the stairs. I was just telling my husband what you said. We do have one railing. I am sure that it will be fine. I would rather not be cooped up in my bedroom anyway. :o) I have my birdies downstairs and they would miss me! :o) My surgery is scheduled for April 18th. I will be sure to let you all know how things go...and I will be in here often before then anyway. Glad you are feeling better! Julie in Duluth

You are definitely the WOMAN!!! I am so glad to hear about the SLR and totally impressed with the self injection. ;D Not sure I could manage that one. I'll inject other species, but humans and myself? Wow! Don't ever tell me that you're not tough again! When I had the fem cath, it's not an outward numbness, it's all bone and muscle. Isn't it a dream? Not sure you'd really need the oral meds with that. I tried to keep ahead of the pain and ended up totally strung out on oxy after my first night home. I never felt any pain and dumped the oxy right away. It scared me as I felt like I was drunk and was afraid I'd fall trying to make it to the bathroom! Why medicate if it's not for fun or pain management? ;D

Glad you're feeling better Beth! It sucks to be sick but it's even worse to be sick when you're still trying to regain normalacy. Glad to hear that we were of some help to you in the early going. Happy Anny, BTW!

Julie, one railing will help tons! You'll probably do just fine, but we won't start to worry about you until we haven't heard anything for 7 days post-op! But trust me, we will be thinking about you! ;) Hey! If you don't feel like coming downstairs, have your hubby post for you to let us know how you're doing. I hear he's a handy guy! ;D

Oh, I forgot to comment on the lovely self injected Lovenox! lol Thankfully, I did not have to self inject since I was in hospital for a week. I did however inject my mother for a solid week with that stuff. I'm thankful for it though, we sure don't want to have a stroke or die from having had knee surgery!

And yeah, Julie, one crutch or a cane and hold on to the railing, and up or down you go on the stairs. It's best to do like Nancy said and have someone there to make sure you are steady at least until you are sure you are steady. And I agree with Leta, have the hubby post for ya until you can make it down there! :-)

My Pt just left and I made 105 ROM and did 10 SLRs! ;D Is this too good to be true or what? It has to be the result of minimal swelling. And through the years, I've done SLRs whenever I thought of it to help build up the quads. I also pushed myself to walk with basketball flex braces on for going shopping etc. I have friends who insist on shopping. ;). I'd recommend anyone looking at surgery to start doing SLRs right now. Even ten days or so might be a head start.

Leta, the self injection is nothing. It is a tiny thing that goes in the soft tissue of the tum-tum and you hardly feel it. It's not like injecting into a muscle. I wish I knew whether I really had the fem cath. I'm going to try to worm it out of my OS.

I'm going to get the staples out on the 7th. My PT says it doesn't hurt. ?????? What was your experience? Those brads look pretty dug in. The scar is huge. I guess I'll have to cancel all the bikini contests I was planning on. ;)

Beth, so glad you're getting over the crud. That ran right through your house, didn't it? Happy Anny. Enjoy those roses. Bob got me some and we forgot them in the hospital. Oh, well, I hope the next person enjoyed them. Then he got me tulips for home which felt really cheery. Spring at last. Are you still doing outpaitent PT?

Sheila, so cool you can walk a mile. I'm jealous but looking forward to that. Spring is here! :D

No more outpatient PT. I just do my exercises here. Well, I did before I got sick. Right now it's exercise just to go to the bathroom. lol I'm drained. And yes it did run right through my house.

I'm leavin on a plane to go meet my husband in New Orleans Wednesday night, from there we're going to the base at Mississippi for the night then on to Tyndall, AFB in Panama City, Floriday for the weekend. I'm looking forward to it. I've never seen salt water and I've never been on an airplane. This is gonna be a real ride for me! Hope I'm feeling up to it! lol

How big is your scar Nancy? Mine is only 4 inches..well, a little over, but not five inches. It's still rather ugly and I won't be showing any leg any time soon, that's for sure, but like I told the hubby, "ugly" is a SMALL price to pay for so much pain relief!!! I dang sure ain't gonna start complaining about the scar now! ;D

Well, hubby is online and we're chatting, so I gotta go. Ya'll take care now!

My scar is a little over four inches too and ugly bumpy. Small price to pay, as you say.

First time flyer! That should be quite the trip. I think it's a good omen that you are expanding your horizons. Great to be spending this special time with your hub. I've only been to Ok a couple of times, years ago when I was writing a training film for the army. It was at Fort Sill. That was wild. I drove in late at night from the airport where I barely found my way though cornfield roads and arrived at this motel they were putting me up at. Attached was a bar loaded with cowboy types. Now, I'd rented a car, but it turned out when I got there that the only thing they had left was a red Camaro. So those boys were all over my car and, by the way, I was still a hottie in my thirties back then. I barely made it to my room!

Very interesting tidbit of a story you have there. Care to share the rest? Did I detect a hint of nostalgia? :)

My husband is in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, (Air Force). Ft. Sill is an army base but I've been there many many times. See, I'm from Cement. That's within hearing distance of Ft. Sill. At my folks' you can watch the big planes go over and you can hear when they are doing practices with the big guns.

I currently live pretty close to Tinker Air Force Base. In fact, that's where I do alot of my shopping! ;D I love the BX.

Well, I'm so glad to hear about your awesome progress. Keep the updates coming. I'm really happy for you and love hearing all about it! ;D

Everybody... Ya gotta get the movie with James Garner and Gena Rowlands. She has Alzheimers disease and he reads to her this wonderful love story. It's an amazing tale that'll have you grabbing the Kleenex and smiling through your tears. I just watched it and I'm still reeling. It's the best love story I've ever seen, and I've seen a few!

Elizabeth....I saw that movie, Notebook, and it was the best movie I saw. I was in a full sob at the end of the movie. I would recommend it too :)

Nancy! That is SO AWESOME that you are doing so well! I wish that I could do straight leg raises now......but I can't because it hurts too much. Something grinds together in there. But I can do the quad flexes. It is better than nothing :)

What I remember most about Fort Sill was riding in a tank with a female driver across rough terraine. Then they took me up in a huge helicopter designed to lift field hospital units. The idea was I was supposed to show in the film how wonderful it is for women to join the army. Of course, that was back then--in peacetime. Oh, and I had my first Coors beer. At the time, you couldn't buy it in the east. Actually I though it a little watery, but I'm not a beer drinker. Now wine is another storyl. ;D

Julie,

Loverox is something like coumadin--it's just to ensure you don't get a blood clot from lying around too much after surgery. Very important. You get three in the hospital and seven more at home. They are tiny syringes and do not hurt at all. Easy to do yourself in the soft tissue of the belly where you don't feel a thing, trust me. The nurse will show you how.

Okay kneesies--today is another chance to move forward toward recovery. I'm dying to get outside and DO something!

Your news is just fabu! I'll bet you won't be in formal PT for much longer. They'll cut you loose very soon. I don't know about the staples as I had one big long contiuous suture. When it came out, I started at one end and the PA started at the other and we just kept working towards the middle. My scar is about 6.5 inches. That TTT added the extra length.

You should call your OS office and ask for your op notes. Now with the new law, you have a right to all your medical records. The office should copy them and send them to you straight away. Better yet, call and ask for them and pick them up on Thurs.! You can and should have them.

Beth,

Have fun on your trip! Flying is a kick! We flew first class for part of the last trip I took and it's going to be mighty hard to go back to coach when I'm footing the bill! ;D

My scar looks like someone went nuts with a staple gun! I measured it at 5 1/2 inches. Small price to pay if this works.

BTW, when you were in North Carolina, did you see the wild horses on the beach? I stayed in the Outer Banks a few years ago and the whole herd swam around the sea fence they set up to keep them on the north side of the island and they came up on shore and raided the fruit and vegetable stand where we were shopping. Just walked right up and started chowing down the apples and everything else. Ears of corn, spitting out the cobbs. The poor stall owner had to throw out everything afterward. She said it happens all the time. The customers didn't seem to appreciate that these were WILD creatures and even let their kids come up and pet the stallion! They sent a brigade with horse wagons to collect the stallion, though he didn't go gracefully. Once they got him back on the other side, the others took to the sea and followed. It was quite something to watch.

Beth,

Enjoy your trip!!!!!

All,

Hope this is a good knee day. My PT Steve is coming later to take me OUTSIDE for the first time since my op. Just walking around the driveway I guess. But it's a beautiful day--70 degrees. We're going out to dinner tonight and I plan to devour a lobster. ;D

I was in Myrtle Beach, SC. No horses there, for sure! You must be talking about the horses of Chincotigue Island? (I KNOW I spelled that wrong!) I used to read stories about them when I was young. They are quite famous, but not really wild...MY horses are probably more wild than those are! ;D

I hope your walk outside went well today. It was a great day here too. Sun and warmth. All good.

I think it's Kinnituck Island. Lots of legends about them, like they swam ashore from sinking ships before the English came. Probably a lot of hooey. I guess they're aren't truly wild since they are used to people. They had no qualms at all about barging into the veggie stand and eating everything in sight. But that stallion was snorting and rearing before they got him into the wagon. Interesting how the whole pack followed when they took the stallion back to their part of the island! I mean, does testosterone always rule, lol. :P

All,

Got my staples out today which wasn't painful except for a couple where skin had already healed over them. In only nine days! Good argument for not waiting to get them out. I have butterfly stitches and can now take a regular shower. No problem with getting it wet.I walked around the supermarket for the first time. It was fine, but I'm tired. One more visit with the home PT guy and then I go outpatient. I'm going a little nuts at home. My brain is not really back after the op. I think it's rolling around under the bed somewhere. So I don't feel up to doing much writing. (I'm working on a novel.) Got to find something else to do so I don't start thinking about a lovely glass of wine by four o'clock! I used to do a bit of beading, so I pulled out my old beading supply kit from the top of a closet. Of course, everything else fell down on my head. There's someone on this board who knits a lot. Julie in Duluth? I wish I knew how to do that. I need to keep my hands busy. Well, I'm going to make some earrings. I also always have a good novel going but someimes I fall asleep reading. Any suggestions?

I think you should start beading and make us all bracelets and matching earrings! ;D I'm not very artsy so while I was in my long, NWB state, I read a ton. It was the ONLY time I could read and not fall asleep.

As far as testosterone ruling, sadly, yes. In the horse world anyway! Mares and geldings share the ruling spot, but when a hormone charged, fully functional male is around, he is the king.

About the "hit and run" tactics of the counter-gender that you mentioned in one earlier post, I have to put a good word in for my friend Mike B. who is on the board and lives not far from me. He has been hanging in there even though he is doing much better these days. He's one of the good guys so I felt like I must acknowledge his compassion and loyalty to the board. (Since that sort of thing is rare and all! ;D )

Hi to all! Seems like I have been MIA for awhile but I still read the posts when they come up! My knee is doing quite well...I can push the mower, dig holes for my flowers, etc. Just can't kneel to pull weeds....DANG!

Another potential health crisis that I need prayers for. I will be seeing a general surgeon on Wednesday to set up a time for a breast biopsy. There were multiple microcalcifications found in my right breast which are catagory 4 (suspicious abnormality). According to the radiologist who read my enhanced mammo the lesions are very suspicious for early malignancy. I am pretty much terrified as my mother, grandmother and great grandmother all died of breast cancer. If it DOES turn out malignant tho it is in the very early stages......EARLY DETECTION! Please keep me in your prayers and I will let you all know the outcome.

Nancy.....You are doing so much so quickly. I commend you on your spirit (even if it is older than the rest of ours!!!:) ) Good job!

You are so on top of this thing, it can't help but minimize the severity of your situation. What a smart lady to know your history and look for it in yourself! My great grandmother had cancer and all anybody knows is that it was of the "female organs". What the He!! does that mean? There's only several organs specific to females! Please...PLEASE keep us posted as we are here for you no matter what!

I'm glad to hear that the knee is doing so well. Who wants to pull weeds anyway? Isn't there some kid that needs extra cash around there?

As you have proven with your knee rehab, positive mental attitude can go a long way with anything you face. Keep your pecker up and know that there is someone in Montana who is thinking about you and wishing you only good things!

Thanks Leta. I am trying to stay positive and my excess nervous energy has me cleaning closets! Oh my, GoodWill is going to benefit greatly from this time of "hysteria"! My hubby is so extremely supportive which helps as well. If the wind ever dies down today we might go play 9 holes...or maybe go fishing later this afternoon.

So sorry you have to deal with this, but clearly you are doing all the right things. When you mention "microcalcifications" it sounds as though it might be ductal. A close friend of mine had that about 7 years ago. She's doing fine. The survival rate on that type is very high, provided it's treated right. Her oncologist called it "practically a non-cancer, as long as you get it before it can get to the lymph nodes." And maybe the biopsy will turn out to be a false alarm. I hope so.

I had a cancer scare myself a few months back. So I researched and researched because I wasn't too interested in having chemo and radiation if I did, in fact, have cancer. I also bought the tapes by Dr. Lorraine Day called Cancer Doesn't Scare Me Anymore." There is one other one..the diet that she used when she had cancer.....but I can't think of the name of it right off hand. It is true that cancer doesnt' have to scare us any longer. We can get the upper hand if we would just educate ourselves. As it turned out for me, I didn't have cancer even though it looked that way at first. You will be in my prayers....... Julie in Duluth

I've caught up on the reading. I'm sorry to hear about your current situation Sheila and will be praying hard for you. Nancy, I'm glad to hear you are doing so well! You are one remarkable lady!

I had a good time on my trip. I rode on a Continental ExpressJet from OKC to Houston, got off the plane, rode a bus to another gate, took an electric cart to the next area, then a monorail to the next area where I was met with a wheelchair escort to take me to the gate for my next plane where they wheeled me down the ramp and right to the plane door! The second plane was a 737. That Houston airport is ginormous! Thank goodness they had pity on me! My poor tired leg/knee were killing me by the time I finally saw my husband in New Orleans! We drove from New Orleans to Biloxi, Mississippi where he was staying at Keesler AFB and stayed in a suite there that was really nice. It was more like a two bedroom apartment, fully furnished, even all the kitchen stuff one needs to make a full sized meal. It was too dark to see the ocean that night, so the next morning we got up and he took me to see the ocean which is almost right outside the AFB gate. I was in awe. First time in my life to see saltwater. We did some looking around, went to a couple of "real" casinos and had a really good time. We got up the next day and drove to Tyndall AFB in Panama City, FL. It was overcast that day and the water didn't really look blue to me, I wasn't overly impressed. The next morning though, the sun was shining and everything was beautiful. The place is way too overcrowded and commercialized for me, I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself there for more than a day or two. Anyway, I got to walk down into the freezing cold water on the white sand. The sand shifted too much under my feet and I quickly found out that my leg isn't as strong as I thought it was. Hubby had to help me up onto the dry sand. I can't wait to go back when we have more time and the water isn't quite as cold. The trip home in the car was a NIGHTMARE. I won't be doing that again any time soon. But all in all, aside from being utterly worn out when we got home, I had a good time. Alot of firsts for me in one trip, alot of memories all bunched into a few short days.

I forgot to mention that we also toured the Battleship U.S.S. Alabama. Wow! It was really amazing to be aboard that thing. I took lots of pictures with my crappy cell phone camera, they were all extremely blurry, but the hubby got some really good video of it.

Welcome back! Glad you had a great time. Maybe next time you can see the ocean in a quieter area where it is relaxing to contemplate. I love being by the water--one of my favorite things.

Steve, my PT measure my ROM at 120 this afternoon, so I'm pleased as punch. My quads are still somewhat weak since I'm a little shaky doing extensions and SLRs, even though I can do them. That will take time. I'm still waiting for my outpatient PT referral. Who knows what's holding them up!

Sheila,

Llike everyone else here, I am praying for you. I hope it's all nothing. Please let us know how you are.

Leta,

I'm actually starting to think there may be a day when I don't have to think about my knees all the time! I'm soooooo glad I did this. Thanks very much to you :-*.

Kneesies,

So far no popping. We'll see what happens when I start using the bike etc.

One thing I should emphasize about my experience. While I'm still very sore after PT etc., I have LESS pain in my knees than I had before the op. Even my left (non-op) knee is better because now the right patella is stable and it isn't taking all the abuse anymore. Now I can even sleep on my side. Before, I had to sleep on my back because bending my knees to be in fetal position send pain right up through the joints. That doesn't happen now.

I think this will be a good thing for you, Julie. If it's working for me, it should work for you!

All,

Has anyone heard from Sheila? I'm still praying her biopsy will show a false alarm.

I haven't heard a thing from Sheila. I don't think she was having her biopsy till next week. The 18th is ringing in my ears, but that could just be bats in the belfry again! ;)

Glad you had a good trip Beth! Sounds like fun and I'm glad the flight and all was good.

Nancy, I am so glad you are doing so well! Isn't it amazing how immediate the relief is for some things? I still can't get over it some days. Are you still using crutches or are you free yet?

Julie, enjoy your last couple of days and get ready for some sitting! It will be all good in the end but I hope you have a good book and some good movies to watch. It will make that initial post-op a little more exciting. I got all the girly movies I have always wanted to watch and just enjoyed! I also brought some books from work to read, but I found that "Advancing Prion Research" was more effective than any sleeping pill so I gave up trying to educate myself! ;D

I am looking forward to having the surgery done SO MUCH! I just want to get back into the land of the living instead of living in this sedentary life that I have been living the the last year and a half. I am nervous too.......just hoping that everything will go okay. I have been working on getting the house in order and cooking up meals to put in the freezer. My girls.....who are 19 and 22 tell me that they are FULLY capable of cooking lol. But if any of you have college kids you know that their time is so limited between school and working and one month to finals. We have this deal at a local video rental where I can pay $25 for a month of unlimited rentals. So that is what I am going to be doing and renting many movies. It has been so helpful to me to hear about how everybody is doing and all the helpful hints that will make my recovery better also. Today I am making pasties (pot pies) because they freeze so well. God bless and hugs to everybody. Julie in Duluth

I guess your date is Monday morning? I'll be thinking of you! Sending you all the good luck and prayers in the world.

Pasties--that's usually a British term. I had them in London. Pub food, right?

Since you are the knitting queen, maybe you can help me. I haven't knit for thirty years, but I bought a ball of wool and some needles. Well, I cast on for a scarf and after about ten inches, it had grown to twice as many stitches! I didn't cast on any more as far as I know. Any idea what's going on?

Leta,

I'm on one stick now. I have a cane which I'm bringing to PT tomorrow. The only reason I'm still using the stick outside is I live in a city and it's worth your life to cross the street, so the crutch puts drivers on notice.

Speaking of chick movies, I watched the Masterpiece Theater version of Daniel Deronda, based on the novel by George Elliot last night. Really good. My hub went upstairs to watch the game, so you get the idea. I also told him to get me The Notebook, which I hear is a real tear-jerky chick flick. More game watching for him. But, hey, sometimes a girl's gotta be a girl! ;)

Nancy, here are a couple URL's for you to check out that have free videos that will show you how to knit. The hello knitty one is a different technique than I use.....but I may give it a try as it looks very efficient. http://www.helloknitty.com/videoinstr.htm and also this onehttp://www.stitchguide.com/stitches/knitting/stitch_pages/kn_knit.html I think you are doing yarn overs. Or you may be picking up stitches in the middle where it may look like a loop. I hope that these sites will help you out. And yep! Monday morning. We have to be at the hospital at 8.......originally it was 5:30. I prefer being there at 8 lol. I can't believe that it is almost time! I forgot to call my doctor today on a few questions.......I guess my family is just going to have to ask for me. I have asthma and wanted to make sure that he knew that sometimes anesthesia can bother that. I live in northern Minnesota.......and it is a big thing here. I guess the minors used to eat them a lot. Even though they DO originate in England, all the Scandehovians love them too :) I am so glad that you are doing so well Nancy. I read the posts everyday.......and it just encourages me SO MUCH! *waves* Have a good night.......Julie in Duluth

Thanks for the knitting URLs. Both of these are simple enough for me. The others I ran into assumed too much. Wow, I can see this takes practice!

Be SURE your doctor and your anesthesiologist knows about your asthma. No doubt you will be asked to fill out papers listing your whole health history, but I'd make sure I also told them verbally. I saw both my OS and my anesthesia guy in the pre-op room and had time to talk to them before surgery.

Okay, Monday you will be on your way to a new you! Will you have a computer in the hospital. You'll probably only be there a couple of days anyway but we'll be eager to hear how you're doing.

Wow. Alot happens when I'm not looking! It's been busy in here and where is Sheila? I've been concerned and was hoping to log in today to find some good news from her. Isn't it strange how we've all become so close and yet we've never met?

Nancy, I'm so proud of your fast recovery! You are some trooper!

I'm doing okay. The knee is going through a weak spell, but I'm positive it's just this autoimmune crap, cuz the other knee is having it's own set of fits, as well as my other joints. Beffy's bunion is berry bothersome. I'm calling my ortho foot man Monday. I had a bunion removed and a couple of toes fixed on the left foot last summer and I'm ready to go in for the right one now. Just when I had about conquered the limp from the knee, the dang bunion flares up to the size of a friggin golf ball. Oh well, life goes on and what's another minor surgery compared to that big ol knee one! ;) I'll just be glad to be done with it all. Dr. Grillo, here I come!

We bought a new van. Well, what happened is...we had this Mazda 626 for almost a year and a half and the transmission started acting all crazy. The hubby didn't think it was that bad and I kept telling him it was. Long story short, to save argument, he made an appointment for a free check up and lo and behold, I was 100% right. Clutches were bad and the torque converter was going down. Rebuild the tranny, $2100 - $2500. Get o2 sensors, $300. Struts all the way around over $600, and that's just for starters. So...with me bawling, the hubby calls me from the other car and suggests going to Big Red Sports and Imports to see about a new car. On the way there I took about 5 wrong turns and went all over the dang place. Who knew I could get so attached to an inanimate object and become so distraught. ugh, i feel like an idiot... Anyway! We found a van we both liked and out there it sits. 2000 Chevrolet Venture with about a million bells and whistles. Hubby can't quit playing with all the features on the dang radio! Meanwhile, I'm missing my old piece of crap Mazda. What a sentimental old fool am I. (I think most of all, I'm going to miss the money when we start making those enormous payments!)

Okay, well, still praying for Sheila and keepng Julie in prayers for encouragement and successful surgery Monday. Anybody else wanna get in there?

How ya feelin Julie? Nervous yet? ;D No worries. It's a breeze, you tell her Nancy!

First of all, good luck Julie!! It's going to be fine and when you wake up on the other side, you'll be relieved and finally have something to work towards! It sounds like you have everything in order and a couple of college age girls to help you out when you need it. I had an 8 year old boy...NOT a ton of help, except when I needed ice! ;D I had to put up with the sighs and stomping everytime I asked, but he got it anyway. You'll be fine.

Beth, congrats on the new rig! They are fun, huh? We got a new car after my accident as the old one was a 5 speed and not a good care for the knee geek. I love my automatic and at least one good thing came out of the accident! Have you ever tried homeopathy as a supplemental therapy for your auto-immune problems? Those are the kind of problems homeopathy works really well on. It is based on natural remedies and nutrition and is not steeped in the pharmaceutical industry. May be worth a try someday for you!

Nancy!! You are doing so well! I wouldn't even bother with the knitting as you will be dancing and shopping so much that whatever you start now, will not get finished! ;) I think you are wise to hang onto the stick for awhile in public. It's like a big red flag and since it's probably illegal to carry a gun in your part of the country, it's your best option! ;D

Well, have a super day all and Julie, I'll be thinking about ya, Baby! :-* :-* :-*

Julie, baby, you're on your way!!!!!!! Now you will have a clear-cut goal to work toward. By now you're probably on the other side of the op. It's about 11 a.m. here and you are, what, two hours behind NY in time? I'm sending you major good vibes all day.

Beth, hey, enjoy those new wheels. I have a boring Camry but it suits me fine.

Leta,

I never learned to drive a stick, but that's just as well now. I'm dying to get back and drive my boring Camry! But my hub and my friends are great about taking me places. By the time I wear out my welcome, I hope I'll be back behind the wheel.

I didn't realize you had a little boy. Is he about nine now? My "little boy" is all grown up.

It's getting a little tougher with the PT. I tend to be pretty sore afterwards and the pain goes down my shin. But it's still sooo much better than I expected and I know I'm making progress and that's the important thing.

Here I am. For some reason I haven't been getting notification of posting and have been so busy I haven't had a chance to peek at what is going on. I got the GOOD results back from my biopsy yesterday afternoon around 4PM. The area removed was "atypical hyperplasia" which means it COULD turn into cancer at some point, but its all gone so just need to keep trucking. Around 7PM my sister called....my brother-in-law passed away. He'd been back in the hospital since last Wednesday with pneumonia. I know my sister is extremely sad but she is also feeling a sense of relief. He had suffered for far too long and it was time for him to go. I'm still trying to make plans to travel once again. Sure wish I liked to fly!

Sounds like everyone is getting along pretty good. I didn't read ALL the posts....just kinda skipped around. I haven't even thought about my knee for days.....too busy looking at my multicolored stitched up boob! :)

Take care and I promise I will read everything after the dust settles on my life!

Ditto everything Nancy just said! So relieved and happy to hear your good news, but sorry for the bad that followed. It is those of us left here that need to grieve as your b-in-law is finally free and in a much better place.

Isn't it great when you can forget the knee! Sorry it has taken this wild ride of life to get you there, but at least you're there!

Life takes some strrange turns, doesn't it? I'm just so glad you are all right.

Leta,

Well, I'm still getting better every day though there is a heck of a lot of soreness after exercising and a few stabbing pains. But, hey, it's a small price. I had a substitute PT today who said because my swelling is minimal I should do ice, heat, and then ice again. Does that sound right? Also, she suggested Neosporin to keep the scar from hardening. What did you use?

I'm doing alright. My knee has been buggin me for a while now. I don't know what's going on and I don't want to know. The x-rays showed that it was mechanically alright, so I'm leaving it at that. I go to my foot doctor on Tuesday to schedule what I hope to be the last surgery for a very long time. I'm having a bunion removed and a toe fixed and then hopefully I can wear women's shoes! :)

I don't really have any new news, I just like to check in ever so often.

You are so kind and sweet! I hate to burst your bubble but, I'm no angel...There's a little of the devil in all us girls! ;)

I used vitamin E oil and still do. Neosporin is an antibiotic and you really don't need it unless it's still open in spots. It's overkill and helps to breed that "super bug" by using an antibiotic when you don't need to. Vitamin E is better and will last you a long time.

Your sharp pains are probably from the adhesions breaking up a bit. Do they last or are they just sharp and then go away? You are bound to be sore after PT for awhile. You can try the heat, but I wouldn't try it right after the PT and if you swell AT ALL, stop using it! I use heat alone now when my knee is sore or the weather changes and it gets achy. Not very often though as it's doing really well most days.

Elizabeth, I really think that patience is your friend right now! Since you are having foot issues, they may be effecting your knee as well. It takes a long time to rehab this thing, especially if you have other issues on board. Since your x-rays look fine, it's probably soft tissue things that will work themselves out in time. Hang in there and don't stop doing your exercises! I can really tell if I slack off for a week. Once I get back to the gym, it starts to feel better again. I know it will be hard with an upcoming surgery in your future, but go back to your immediate post op period and do all the things you were doing then, if you can. I really think that time is your friend!

Hey, you know what they say: The good die young, and we b*tches live forever! A little salt, a little spice, what would we do without it? 8)

I'll try that vitamin e. I know I have some oil around here somewhere.

Beth,

I have a spot on the left side of my knee about the size of a nickel that hurts inside. The PT felt around and said it feels like a bit of scar tissue. I'll ask the OS about it when I see him. Maybe you have something similar. It all takes time to settle down.

Good luck with the bunion fix. Hope that's the end of surgery for you!!!

I'm having a problem with this burning knot on the back of my knee joint..it radiates burning pain all the way down my calf and into my foot. It's throbbing and aching and burning constantly. I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to my other ortho tomorrow (the foot doc) and I'll ask him what he thinks. I don't know if it has anything to do with it or not, but I've been running a fever and my daughter has strep. I'll make sure to mention this all to the doc.

Maybe you have a Baker's cyst that has become inflamed? When they swell up, they can put a lot of pressure on the nerves. I have one at the back of each knee and have had similar pain from it. Ice helps a lot.

Thanks for your input. I've researched the Baker's cyst and that is what it looks like. I called my ortho and am waiting for the nurse to call me back. The nurse I spoke to thought it sounded like a blood clot and said I'd need an ultrasound. It doesn't feel like a blood clot and surely it would have killed me by now if it was, this has been going on for weeks.

I didn't go to the foot appointment because I was waiting for my knee doc to call. I rescheduled for next Thursday. I think whatever's going on with this knee is more important than my bunion.

From what I've been told, you absolutely cannot have ultrasound on any joint that has a prosthesis with any metal in it. The ultrasound will heat up the metal and burn your internal tissue!!!! :o

It's probably just the Baker's cyst which is very very common. And especially where there has been an implant and surgery on the joint it can really swell. But of course I'm no doctor. I'll be very interested to hear what your OS has to say.

I hope that is incorrect information as I am scheduled for ultrasound in 45 minutes. They have to do it to rule out a blood clot. I don't know what the heck is going on, but I do know this, it's MUCHO PAINFUL! I had to knock myself out with Tylenol PM last night in order to sleep.

As far as I know, ultrasound is just sound waves, I've had like a bazillion of them and I've never felt a thing other than the gooey mess they glop on before the wand. lol

I'm really interested in hearing what they tell you about this latest problem. Ultrasound does create heat but maybe they have a way of doing it that limits the heat so it doesn't heat up the prosthesis too much. Hope this turns out to be something simple that can be fixed right away! If something is pinching a nerve, it can be very painful.

Well, I didn't find out anything other than I don't have a blood clot. I'm still in pain, sometimes it's way worse than other times. There isn't anything specific that I do that makes it worse. Sometimes it hurts really bad and is practically unbearable and other times I barely notice it. But I can't straighten my leg, even when it's hardly hurting. I haven't had that problem at all since the surgery. It's always straightened just fine, now all of a sudden, it won't. Starting to worry me. I guess I'll wait for my doc to call and say what the next step is. I had the ultrasound here in Norman and my doctor is in north Oklahoma City, so I haven't heard from him yet. I'll let ya'll know.

I foudn out that it's the ultrasound TREATMENT, the kind you'd get at PT, that generates heat and can burn tissue. Not the DIAGNOSTIC ultrasound, which is apparently what you had.

So glad it isn't a blood clot! Maybe it's scar tissue that has hardened up? My PT mentioned that possibility--said that it can make bending diffifult or worse. so keep massaging two places on my knee where there is scar tissue underneath.

Nancy,Thank you so much for the advice and stuff. I'm glad to hear that you are still doing so well. It's always good to hear good news! My knee is still really bugging me, but I'm sure if there was a problem I'd have heard something by now.

Well, I haven't heard anything from anybody yet. I am however feeling better. It hurts a little and there is still some aching, but it's much better than it was.

I know about that ultrasound treatment. I had that done to my hands and wrists for carpal tunnel syndrome. Wish I could get it done again! :) I did ask the ladies who did the ultrasound on my leg about what you said and they assured me that they do it all of the time and it doesn't generate any heat.

I went shopping yesterday and over an hour into the shopping trip I realized that I wasn't limping. The other day my little one fell down some stairs and I ran to her. I've also been doing a little dancing. I just can't figure out what was going on with me there for those two weeks. I seem to be pretty much recovered from whatever it was though, what a relief!

I'm assuming the little problem I had with my knee was a baker's cyst that ruptured and is now fine. I assume this because that is what my nurse told me over the phone. She said when they rupture it hurts badly, but after it's all absorbed or whatever, then everything seems to go back to normal. (That's my interpretation anyway.) And now I do seem to be fine, thank heaven!

Yes, I still exercise. If I don't it tends to be rather bothersome. I will start to ache and feel weakness set in. I have found that the most beneficial exercises for me are the SLR's and the recumbant bike riding. Also, when I'm sitting down I bend and straighten it alot and do something similar to a quad set. I simply bend it to approximately 90 degress and then tighten my quad for about 30 seconds, then release. I do this constantly while sitting. I've done it so much and so often that now I do it without even realizing it. When I'm lying in bed at night I slide it alot..I guess I shouldn't leave that information out. I bend and straighten it while lying on my back..but that seems to be more out of restlessness than a need to exercise.

I went to my ortho foot doc today. He's an ortho surgeon who specializes in feet. Anyway, he was very interested in my knee story and even asked to take x-rays so he could see it. I let him of course. ;D I am definitely a promotional expert on this surgery. I've memorized all the details and can spout them all off on cue. lol He seemed to be rather impressed by the fact that I'm still dependent on my own natural joint and that the prosthesis does not bear any weight. But on to the whole reason I went to the doc in the first place... I'm having a bunion removed and a toe joint removed and fused and the toenail removed. I scheduled it for the 13th, but I have to reschedule due to a mix-up in our schedule here at home. I should have it the following week. I'll keep you posted. It's just an in and out thing, I'll come out with two different shoes but should be walking unassisted with a limp. I've already had it done to my left foot and am VERY pleased and can't wait to have the right one done so I can wear women's shoes! lol

I agree that the exercises can get rather boring, especially where you are in the game, but you'll get used to it and if you go a couple of days without doing them you'll want to go back to doing them. I slacked off while I was sick and am wondering if that's what made me have to go through that "glitch". At any rate, you should get to a point where the exercises become natural and you'll be doing them without even realizing it sometimes. I even find myself doing some when I have cruise control on!

Like you, I do a lot of exercises while sitting, lying in bed and just pottering around. It things like the wall slides and sink squats--the more elaborate stuff that I sometimes don't get around to doing. Another odd thing--I find it really hard to tighten my quads without tightening my glutes! My PT was trying to get me to isolate the quads today. I finally did it, but I hope I can do it on my own.

Interesting about the Baker's Cyst rupturing. I have one at the back of each knee and a couple of times I thought the one on the right, operated knee was about to burst. I felt a lot of pressure.

Good luck with the bunion surgery. After the PFR, it'll be a walk in the park, lol

Ahhhhh..A walk in the park. That sounds fun! lol Yeah, the bunion surgery will be easy, this'll be the second one. I had the other one done before my knee. It's the day after tomorrow and boy am I ready! I'm also having a joint taken out of my toe and pins put in for the fusion. The pins come out after 4 weeks or so. After that I'll have matching feet! lol

I can't wait til it's all healed up and my feet match and I can wear sandals without embarrassment and dress shoes without pain. Of course, there are the scars, but they ain't nothin compared to the ugliness of the mallet toes and enormous bunions! ;D

How are ya'll? Haven't heard from Leta and Sheila for a while. Hope everyone is doing great.

Well HELLO! It's been a busy couple of months and I haven't been on here much except to browse once in a while. It is almost summer in Kansas...in fact it got up to 92 here yesterday. Hot and humid...I can take the heat but the humidity kicks my butt. I have been out mowing the yard for the past 40 minutes and am totally drenched.My knee is "okay" but not as good as it should be at 7 months...at least in my opinion. I still have swelling when I walk much, and can't squat or kneel. I have a followup appt with my OS on the 25th and have lots of questions to ask. The other night when Tom and I were walking the dogs my knee POPPED real hard and hurt like the devil. It only happened once (thank heavens) and we were close to home. I iced for a long time but am still suffering some. Hope you are all doing well and enjoying your spring!

Weedhopper! Maybe you were hoppin' too high? Sorry your knee popped. It might have been some scar tissue that has hardened next to or nearly under the new patella. If you catch it, it can cause a pop and pain, I'm told by my PT and OS.

My knee is doing fine for 6 weeks. But I do have a piece of tissue at the bottom of the patella which sometimes mildly catches. My OS said that if it keeps bothering me, he can snip it out with an arthroscopy.Otherwise my mobility is great--he wants to put me on his website. I'm still not able to walk a ton but he said that will take a few months anyway.

Beth,

We had a lovely day here too. Here's hoping we can really really enjoy the good weather this year.

I did yard work this past weekend, boy was it fun! Except for the inevitable sinus crud that follows. ugh I'm so allergic to grass and trees that it's pathetic. But I SOOOOO love working in the yard! Thank God for Zyrtec! ;D

Sheila, I'm so sorry to hear that you are having problems. I'll pray for you to get better soon!

Just a quick note to let you know I'm still alive and kicking! Very busy at work and home but it's all good! All in all, it sounds like you gals are all doing well. Sheila, just in the last couple of months have I felt more like my old self! It was better, yes, but not to the point that I actually thought about doing some of the old activities that I did before my accident. I'll be a year out in June. It takes a long time!

Well ya'll, I'm a week out from my foot surgery. I've hit some bumps in the road already. The darned thing swelled up to almost twice it's normal size and was purple as a plum. It was pulling on the stitches, so I had to go in to see Dr. Grillo for an emergency appt on Tuesday. He removed a stitch then so it could drain. Yesterday I went in and had the rest of the stitches removed. It should drain some more and heal up. There is no infection. I will have pins in my toe for five more weeks. Once the big incision closes up better, I can wear this goofy looking bootcast thingie to walk. I can't wear actual shoes until the pins are out. The pins are to fuse the toe because it was a mallet toe and he removed the end joint. The pain was pretty bad when it was swollen so huge, but now that it has gone down some, it's way more manageable. I'm on 5/325 Percocet and just one every 4-6 hours ebbs the pain enough to where it's totally bearable.

I'm still doing sit down exercises for my knee so it doesn't get lazy on me.

Leta, I'm so glad to hear from you and to hear that you are doing so well! YOU GO GIRL! ;D

Well, ya'll pray for me, the husband and I have split up and it looks like it's for good this time.

Man Beth, you have had one helluva time haven't you? Seems like if it isn't one thing it is another. Sorry to hear about you and hubby. BTDT (been there done that) and it ain't fun. Good luck to you tho.

My knee is regressing instead of progressing. I am back to the constant popping when I walk and quite a bit of swelling. I have been down with ice and ibuprophen for the past 2 days but haven't had any relief as of yet. I see my OS on Wednesday. Hope he can give me something good to go on. At this point, I am not happy I had the surgery as I feel I am basically back to where I was 5 months ago. Not good.

Hope you are all doing well and progressing nicely. Nancy, how are you doing?

Sheila,I'm so sorry to hear your bad news! It really sucks that you have to be one of the statistics on the other side. That really blows. I can't believe it. Let us know what your OS says. We definitely all need to hear it and keep ourselves informed.

Yeah, when the bad luck hits, it hits. But that's how things usually go. Oh well. Life goes on. I still have my kids.

Don't give up yet! This is likely a temporary setback. I'm hoping your OS will tell you something positive. Other people on this board have had popping and then it went away. I think Leta had popping for a while. Maybe it just needs to settle in.

Beth,

So sorry about your problems. I'm sure the stress from the operations didn't help the marriage. Wishing you luck on the bunion foot healing quickly--and everything else.

Keeping my fingers crossed that your popping is nothing serious. Maybe you should put up a new thread asking about popping and get some feedback from others who have had that. They won't notice it deep in this thread.

Good idea Nancy. I just posted under the Soft Tissue area. Today I can barely walk without the popping and sharp pain and I have been in tears all morning. PLUS I have to have some dental work done this afternoon.....3 cracked molars....Dentists have never been my friends! Valium is in the plan for this one! My hubby is getting ready for an early retirement and the dental insurance will be a thing of the past so figured I had better take advantage of it while I have the opportunity!

Sheila, I'm rather perplexed by your issue. The pain and swelling associated with the popping is troublesome! Hopefully your OS will shed some light on the subject. Where is the popping coming from? Medial, lateral, back, front? I did have some popping but no pain or swelling to speak of. Geez, I hope it's nothing. I know I've said this over and over, but these things take about a year to fully heal. Are you still doing your exercises? If not, I'd start at least doing some stretching. Even now, my muscles feel tight if I have what used to be a normal, physically active day. I went to a wedding and actually danced...swing danced (Yeah!), but wow! Did I hurt the next day! The more beer I drank, the more I danced. It was fun, but I did pay the price the next day. I was thinking how normal I felt until I woke up the next day! Hang in there and let us know what the OS says.

Nancy, I know you feel like it's a slow go, but you really are doing great! You'll be convinced that the op knee is now your good knee pretty soon. That's pretty much the way I am now. Keep up the good work and great attitude! It will pay off!

Have a good evening and I'll post when I can. Things are bonkers around here and my time it limited, but I'm still with you all!

Leta, the popping is all on the outer side of the patella. Sometimes there is no pain and others there is kickass pain that makes tears come to my eyes. I am trying to post some pictures of my knees to MSN website but the site is down right now. I'll let you know when they are posted so you can see the knot I have been yelling about. Just remember.....I am not a young slender woman with great legs!!!!!!!

Hey, great legs are those that work--and yours is going through probably a temporary rebellion. Remember that Leta had popping too and she's doing fine. Your OS should have a look-see. I always imagine the worst when I have symptoms and so far it's been mostly false alarms. Knowing what it is will make you feel a lot better since then you can say, "ok, it's that." You had major surgery done and there are bound to be glitches along the way to complete healing. I get sharp pains at the bottom left and right of my new patella. It's irritation where I am overusing a joint that hasn't fully healed yet plus I have a small flap of tissue inside that catches. The OS says he can clip that out if it doesn't settle down.

Leta,

Swing dancing! ;D I have a feeling it was worth your pain the next day--as long as it's ok now. You're right about my so called "good" (other) knee. It's crunching and catching and now my op knee is the more stable, though it gets sore and catches a bit sometimes.

Ok, the news from my OS: I have a "bundle" of scar tissue build up which is causing the popping, pain and swelling. Endured yet another cortisone shot....altho the guy who did it was wonderful! I have never had one so relatively painless before. If the cortisone doesn't break up the scar tissue I will have to have it scoped and scraped. Lets hope this shot works. OS said that the mechanics of my patella are great and the xrays were perfect. So once I get over this hurdle I should be good to go.

We're camping this weekend so I am anxious for Friday to get here! It is supposed to be really nice so we will have the pontoon out and do some fishing!

I think this is great news! I realize that nobody likes scar tissue and it can be a HUGE problem, but...compared to what it COULD have been, no biggie at all. Even if they have to scope the thing, it's still nothing compared to a slipped femoral prosthesis or a sheared pin, etc. I think this news is all good! Have you ever tried accupuncture? That might help too. There may be several noninvasive methods of dealing with scar tissue that haven't even been explored in your case yet. If I were you, I'd feel very good about this. Could have been MUCH worse! I know the pain and swelling are a bummer but the piece of mind will help the pain as well. In my experience, pain is much worse when it is arm in arm with fear and the unknown. BTW, that joint is more metal and plastic now than anything else...no wonder your cortisone shot didn't hurt! ;D

I am taking Friday off (Yeah!) and we are going to our cabin in the mountains for the weekend. It should be fun, but there will be some work involved as the cabin is not quite finished. It's a labor of love though so relatively painless and enjoyable because of the location.

Just so you two aren't overly impressed...my dancing was definitely powered by Budweiser! I probably wouldn't have danced so much if the Bud wasn't on board! All in all, it was worth it and my recovery was only a day or so...for the knee, that is!

Oh yes I am THRILLED that it is "just" scar tissue. It could have been any number of things and that is the one I would have picked! Like I said, the mechanics are GREAT so that is a bug plus. Metal and Plastic.....gee never thought about that. I DO know that the metal kept me in "holding" at the Chicago airport last month. I thought I was going to have to call the OS to tell the security people I was unarmed!

Bud, wine, rum.....it's all good in Kansas! Keep those dancin' shoes on! Nancy, have fun on the stairs at Grand Central. Those will make a man out of you!

Okay, well, I skimmed through all the posts since I last posted. I will go back and read them more thoroughly later.

Sheila, I'm so glad to hear that the mechanics are good. WHAT A RELIEF! I was SOOOOOO worried and even told my mom to have prayer for you at church. I guess it worked! Now let's take care of that scar tissue issue! ;D I'm such a comedian..lol

Ya'll have sure been up to alot! I'll reply more later when I have more time. Just wanted to give a short update on me to let you all know I'm still alive and kickin...well...crutchin' ;) My foot is doing okay, I still am not supposed to walk on it, but just between you and me, I have been trying a little bit of weight on it. Shhh! Don't tell! It hurts, but not really bad. (Unless I bump it right on the pins that are sticking out...OUCH!) I get them out on June 23rd.

Okay, I'll check back later and reply to more postings. IT'S SUMMER! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!

Yeah, I get it. ;D I do alot of that. I'm trying to keep my wits about me in all this turmoil. It ain't easy, but I'm chugging through. It's really important for me to make my marriage work, I don't want to be a quitter again.

My knee has been hurting, but I think it's from disuse because the foot I had surgery on is on that leg and of course I can't walk. I should have waited before having this done. ugh.. oh well, hindsight's 20/20.

Hey Everyone! I was checking in about the same time as Beth! It's been awhile since I've been on. How is everyone doing? I'm still gimping with the scar tissue issue. It's been 3 weeks since I had my last cortisone injection and so far I haven't seen any improvement. We're going on vacation on the 18th so I think I'll try to get back in to the OS the week after we get home. I have a small window of free time between return from vacation and when my nephew from Chicago comes for a visit so might see if I can get the OS to scrape the scar tissue during that time. Not looking forward to going back in but on the other hand I am tired of not being able to get out and DO. I haven't had arthroscopic surgery before and have heard it isn't bad.

Hope you are all doing well and plugging along thru your summer. I have a camping trip this weekend with 20 wild women. We call it our "Rugosa" campout. Rugosa is a wild rose. Should be one helluva good time!

I admire you going camping with your knee. Even when my knee was good, I haven't gone camping since I was maybe 36. Mu husband says I only sleep where they have dust ruffles. ;)

Arthroscopy is ambulatory surgery, at least all the ones I've heard about. So you won't have to "go in." :DI had it before I had the PFJR and it was a piece of cake. And the stuff they give you to keep you happy while it's going on is a real sweet trip. I'd like to have that again! ;D

Beth,

I was wondering how your knee might react when you're laid up with your foot. Can you do any of the exercises, like SLRs?

Glad to hear you're hanging in with the hubby. I'm married 35 years and I can tell you, in my case at least, it's well worth the compromises. Life is full of them as we kneesies know. And in the end, if you can make each other happy, married is better.

Well, I'm still trying to get one house ready to sell and line up contractors to work on the new house. We need to put a new kitchen in and, of course, paint etc. It's amazing the [email protected] we found cleaning out the basement, attic etc and alll the closets and cabinets after 18 years! Some pretty good stuff too that we forgot we had.

Finally have a minute to post! It's been hard since I have been gone a bunch.

Beth,

Hang in there and just do the best you can. It will all get better soon. (Of course I'm talking about ALL the issues, not just one! ;)) Can you do quad sets? Even those help me if I can't do anything else. Also, stretch it if you can. It probably just wants to stretch a little.

Sheila,

So what's going to happen and when? Can they ultra sound it or anything short of surgery?

Nancy,

You are one tough cookie! I sold a house that I had lived in for 14 years and it about killed me, physically and emotionally. And that was BEFORE any knee injuries! I hate to move and will not do it again unless someone has a gun to my head. Good luck with all that!

I had a fun weekend at a "conference" and was able to prove to myself that the dancing of two weeks ago was not a fluke! It's for real, baby. It's for real! I didn't even hurt the next day...well...my knee didn't hurt anyway. ;D

Leta, I plan to put a call into the doctor tomorrow but when I saw him last he gave me 2 options...the cortisone shot or scoping/scraping. I have talked to my little PT gal and she gave me some suggestions as far as massage, etc., but nothing has made a difference. This afternoon that sucker popped so loud the windows rattled and I have been pretty much down ever since. I am trying to deaden the pain with some Miller Lite but not sure if I have enough in the fridge to make much difference! :)Glad you are able to "get Jiggy" with no (knee) pain! That makes life so fun!Tom and I moved to our home 3 years ago after living in the same house for 15 years. We "downsized" and altho I love where we live I would kill for a bigger house again. I have crap stored everywhere as I'm not able to let it all go yet. I imagine we will stay put tho as last Friday was Tom's last day at Boeing Commercial Aircraft. He took a voluntary layoff which entitles him to receive severance for 25 weeks and in November he can take an early retirement and get all the bennies from that. Boeing has sold their commerical division in Wichita and that is what has prompted all of this. So I have hubby at home now.....or on the golf course I should say. I love it!

Yeah, sticking out the marriage and trying to make each other happy is a helluva lot easier on me than the thought of divorce. I've been down that road 3 times already and do NOT want to venture into that wilderness again! I love my husband deeply and he is the BEST out of four, I know I couldn't do any better.I've been doing SLR's and stretches. It wants REAL exercise though. It's just achy. No real pain. I'm still thanking the Good Lord for that PFR!!!Glad to hear about the dancing!!! I love to dance and did a little before my foot surgery. It was so fun and caused no pain in my knee.My left knee is now giving me so many fits it's pathetic. It makes all kinds of noise and it hurts like hell. It is NOT dislocating or subluxing at all and I think I'm just gonna opt for a good ol shot and call it a day. lolMoving, UGH. Have not yet bought our own home but are looking to buy now and THAT in and of itself is a chore! I HATE moving and am so ready to have our own place. We pay $750 a month rent and it is such a waste.I wanna work in the yard!!! Just a little while longer til I get the pins out of my toe, June 23rd. I'll sure be glad to put on a shoe!Okay, I'm tired of sittin here already, ya'll take care and I'll check back tomorrow!Later taters!Beth

Checking in. I am getting the pins out of my toe on Thursday this week. I can't wait! I've been walking, but I have to walk with my toes up and it hyperextends my knee (PFR knee) and that is kinda painful.

The knee is still doing great, just sore from the way I have to walk. I am getting weird pains in my scar though. Ever so often I get this jolt in the scar that feels like I've just touched a live bare wire to it. Anyone know what this is?

The "live wire" sensation around you scar might be a bit of nerve damage. My husband has that on his pinky from where he cut it accidentally many years ago. Now there is just one tiny spot that reacts that way. Hopefully, your will go away.

My knee is pretty good though I have been overdoing things I'm sure because of moving. It gave way for half a second this morniing while I was cleaning, but I think that was muscles rebelling.

Good luck on getting the pins out Thursday! Then you'll be all put back together again. :D

A few stolen moments to post so I thought I'd check in! I was one year post-op on the 18th and meant to post, but just didn't find the time.

Beth, Yup. I've still got that sometimes! The side of my leg is also numb, but I think that may be from the TTT as it seems to be a common issue. I still rub my scar sometimes just to keep it loose and boy howdy! I get the zingers then! It's like Nancy said, it's angry nerves. Don't think it's a problem though, just collateral damage.

Nancy, Yup. I had the giving way occasionally till about 4 months ago. Nothing now since I've started walking for exercise and gaining confidence. Those poor quads have been in a guarding state for so long that they still don't think they can do the job. They'll wake up soon though and especially if you are moving! What a wild woman you are! Brave and tough, me thinks. ;)

I am doing very well. Now that the weather is nice, I'm walking for exercise and it's been terrific! I am doing about 2 miles in 45 minutes and it feels fantastic. So glad I did this, so glad to have my mobility, so glad to be able to do some of the things I used to do. Just glad, glad, glad! I have been meaning to post to the success stories thread, but haven't had the time. I have a HUGE inspection at work in a few weeks so have been working late and gone lots on the weekends. Posting to the Success Stories was something I aspired to do last year after my surgery as my one year treat if I was happy with it. Little did I know that I would not only be happy, but too busy getting on with life to post!!

You gals just IM me any time you feel like it. I still read your threads if I have a minute, but most of the time I don't log in as it takes too much time. ::) I will respond for sure if you IM me! I promise!

Take care, ladies and always know that you are never far from my mind!

Big congrats on passing your one-year mark so successfully! I can't wait to get there. Walking 2 miles in 45 minutes. Awesome. Glad you told me you have the "giving way" issue and that it's no biggie at this stage. I was cleaning like a maniac getting this house ready to show on the market. My hub finally said. Stop! He was doing it, but some dirt he just doesn't see. He has male blindness, lol. So we have a cleaning lady coming in for a while.

It's so great to see your post pop up. One of these I will IM you. Good luck oon the work inspection. And keep on enjoying your new life!!!!!

Hey to all......hope you are all doing well and enjoying your summer. It is HOT here in Kansas.....95-100 for the next week with no rain in sight! We just got back from a week at Table Rock Lake in NW Arkansas. What a wonderful week we had.....lots of boating, eating, shopping and drinking! I wasn't able to take walks like I wanted but enjoyed just the same.I am going to have my knee "scoped" on July 25th to get the scar tissue removed. Not sure what to expect from this surgery as I haven't had the arthroscopic done before. I would love to think I will be 100% the day after but seem to think otherwise. Any thoughts?

Wish I could tell ya that you'd be 100% the next day with 100% accuracy! Might take a few days or weeks. Glad there is an answer for you though. I had arthoscopy once, for the failed LR. What I found is that the LR is NOT the easy little arthoscopy that a clean out is. A ski buddy of mine had a clean out and was skiing the next week. The dog! I'll bet you'll feel relief fairly soon after. Once the initial invasion clears, it should be fairly quick.

Glad you had a good time on your outing! Sounds like a blast! I'll be in "work Hell" for the next few weeks so I may not be able to check in with you. Next weekend is fun. (The week will bite, but the holiday will be all good!) After that, another week of Hell, then a mad, crazy trip to Memphis for the weekend. (Not looking forward to Memphis in July!) Then, a HUGE work inspection on the 14th. The next weekend, It's all about me! I may go off by myself somewhere and chill. Then, Ames, Iowa for a tour of research labs and after that, either Montreal or Australia (Sometime in August for a vaccination not available in the US.) Not sure when I will be able to "land" and enjoy myself! I don't mind traveling for work, but this is insane! Glad my knee is holding up or it would truly be Hell!''

Anyway, best of luck on the scope and I'll check in ASAP.

To all my wonderful kneegeek friends: Hope all is well and you all are enjoying excellent knee weekends!

Hey, Sheila, sounds like you had a great vacation! I will probably have to have the scope for scar tissue sometime myself. Good luck. After our PFJR, should be a piece of cake. Last scope I had, I healed up right away. So go girl!

Leta, jetsetter, you are our star! I used to travel a lot for biz but glad now I don't have to. But still, had a bunch of fun. So glad you're off on your pogo stick and doing so well. :D

I'm so glad to find this message thread on patellofemoral replacements. I'm age 28 and have had 14 knee surgeries- 7 on each knee including bilateral TTTs and VMO advancements. I've had knee problems for the last 17 years. I have grade IV chondromalacia patella in my knees with my left knee being the worst knee. I'm in pain management now for the past 4 years, and my anesthesiologist is trying many treatments to keep my pain manageable. I've had cortisone injections but now I have morphine and marcaine injections into my knees every 4-5 months. I also have arthritis in my hips and have just found out I have arthritis in my feet. It's been recommended that I have a fusion done on my 1st MTP joints in my feet for the arthritis. My orthopedic surgeon is a fantastic physician who specializes in knee and hip replacements. He talked to me last week about possibly having a patellofemoral replacement in the next few years. Right now, I'm having about one arthroscopic surgery a year on my left knee to smooth out the patellar cartilage which continues to get fibrillations in it. I've read most of the posts about the replacements. I'm wondering about recovery time specifically-- my OS told me about 3 months to be functional and about 6 mts to a year for total recovery. Because of all the surgeries I've had, I tend to recover more slowly than many people. Overall, I'm wondering if you all would recommend the surgery. I do want to have children in the future and some studies show that metal ions are excreted in the urine in patients who have had a total knee replacement. I'd definitely ask him about the safety in childbearing age women. I am at my wits end with treatment options. Injections have become very painful due to all the scar tissue, and they only offer a temporary solution. Arthroscopic surgery is only lasting about a year for me now. I want something more permanent. Thank you for any advice! Margaret

Hi Nancy-Thanks so much for your reply. I have osteoarthritis due to years of serious gymnastics. Several of my physicians want me to get tested for RA but I don't want to! I'll definitely ask how my previous surgeries will affect my recovery,etc. Thank you again! Margaret

If I were you I would get tested for RA. First to rule it out. And if it did come up positive they now have medicine that slows the destruction of the joints. I understand your reluctance but isn't it better to know if there is something more you can do?

It's been a while since I've been on and I've been thinking about you guys. I wanted to give some updates on me.

I started a new job on July 11. I work at an Oil and Gas Leasing company. It's awesome. I'm in "Support". What I actually am doing currently is data entry, but I'm going to be an "assistant" to a big buyer there and I'm much looking forward to that.

I had a pretty major setback with my knees recently. My left knee (not the PFR knee) is in really bad shape and has decided that it doesn't wish to carry the weight anymore. I had to go in for my second cortisone shot in it since my PFR on Dec. 28. My surgeon says that after my year is up from the PFR, I absolutely need to get the left one scoped. There is alot of junk floating around in there and it'll only get worse if I don't get it taken care of. I also have to do isolated quad exercises on both knees to pull the patellae inward.

My PFR kneecap is slightly tilted which has caused me a bit of pain, but not too bad. I have to wear a brace when it gets too unbearable. All the brace does is forces the kneecap to sit right. This problem has nothing to do with the mechanics of the replacement, it is all the mechanics of my natural joint. It was doing this prior to the surgery and actually it isn't as bad now as it was then. There is nothing that can be done surgically to remedy the problem, I just have to strengthen the muscles that pull the kneecap to the center.

I've been having trouble with my autoimmune diseases lately which is my biggest problem of all. I absolutely feel for anyone who suffers from these things, they are a complete and total nightmare. I can barely function at all when I get home from work in the evenings. I would die without the loving support of my husband. He cooks, cleans, takes care of the kids, takes care of me, the whole nine yards. He is a Godsend. It is wearing on him though. We could sure use some prayer from those of you who pray. I need some health and morale boosts and he needs a morale boost. We have suffered more financially since I got a job than we did before when we were living on only his income. It seems like the bottom fell out as soon as I secured this job. It has been an uphill battle. It's very stressful.

But back to my PFR. My leg is only getting stronger and other than minor snafus here and there, it's awesome. I don't think I could be any happier with the result. I can even squat now! I couldn't do that before the surgery. All in all, I would do it all again in hindsight. I do not regret for one moment having had it done and am forever thankful for Vanguard and my surgeon, Charles Bryant. And if it comes to it, I'll have the same thing done to my other knee. Matching scars! lol

I wanted to comment on the posting about the fusion of toe joints. I've had two toe joints fused and am looking now at having to have my big toe fused to my foot, which I'm not looking forward to, but hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I'm told that the autoimmune diseases are likely the cause of my joint problems. The toes I've had fused are the second toes on both feet. I've also had huge "spurs" removed from my dorsal joints. They initially thought they were bunions, but it turned out they were enormous spurs caused from the breaking down of my joints. The pain is miserable. I feel for any of you that have this problem. Maybe we should start a bulletin board website about feet!

Okay, well, I'm sorry it's been so long since I've been in touch. Ya'll take care and I'll check back in a few days.

How great that you got yourself a job and that you seem to like it. Your hub must be proud of you. We are too. Sorry that you are going through so much with your autoimmune problems but it is good news that your pfr is working so well.

Which isolated quad exercises do you do? I need to do more of stuff like that.

The isolated quad exercise they specified goes like this: sit on a flat surface..like the floor...and put a rolled up towel under the bottom part of your thigh just above the knee, tighten the quad muscles as you lift your heel up off of the floor, hold. repeat. simple? add 2-5 lb weights to your ankles. This is supposed to tighten the part of the quad toward the inside of your leg which will pull the kneecap to the center ...

Glad to hear that the PFR is doing so well. Mine is really good too so I guess we can say that the PFR is truly the way to go. Sorry to hear about your other problems. The job sounds good though and I hope it all works out for you.

I do the isolated quads too. I'm at 10 lbs. now which I never thought I'd see! It's all good and coming along very nicely.

Howdy people!It's been a LONG time since I've posted and I thought I'd give you guys an update on me! ;D

I am still having trouble with the left (non PFR) knee. The right (PFR) knee however...WOW! It's doing just great! I went to Dr. Bryant last Friday, March 10 and he is so happy with it! I can crawl around on hands and knees, bend, squat, do stairs, everything (except my other knee is not wanting to cooperate).

I'm still working at the oil and gas leasing company. I have been promoted to Ownership Database Manager.

I had meningitis in January, was in the hospital for a while, ended up with a spinal headache, then I had to get a blood patch which caused terrible back pain. Then in February, I got RSV and was sick for almost 2 weeks with that. It's been a great year so far!

I hope all of you are well and I hope all of your PFRs are doing as well as mine! I'll go catch up now! :)

Hey K!Glad to see you back. And sooooo glad your pfjr knee is doing so well. ;D I see you had it done 12/04. I had mine done 3/28/05. I went to the OS the other day and he x-rayed it and said it's just fine. The problem is I still have a lot of soreness and get pain going up the thigh and lots of pressure and pain in the lumbar, lower back area.

He told me that I now have 90% of the results I can expect to have. :-\ . Did you get more healing after a year? I'm hoping I'll still get considerably better results. He also said that my thigh and back pain are not related to the pfjr but I don't believe that.

It has been a year and almost 3 months since my surgery and I'm still improving. It is a verry slow process, but alot of patience and hard work pays off! ;DI am quite pleased with the results so far and have even lost over 30 pounds since my surgery! I am not completely without pain. It has it's days when it seems all it wants to do is give me hell, but compared to what I had before surgery, I'll take it! :P I do not have any "catching" like I've heard others mention. I do have some swelling sometimes and some tenderness sometimes and it is still pretty weak. (But I lost over 45% of my strength pre-operatively and it takes a LONG time to regain that once it's lost!) I can do everything with the PFR knee that I can do with my all natural knee (though the all natural knee ain't much to brag about). I have no limitations whatsoever. I have run, danced, climbed stairs, crawled, squatted, jumped up and down, you name it, I've probably tried it. (I do have other physical ailments which limit my mobility, but the PFR knee has no limits except strength.)

I went last Friday for a steroid injection my left knee and Dr. Bryant said something to me that really got me. He said while giving me the shot, "You've goten alot tougher since the first time we saw you." Well, I know that he's done alot of joint replacement surgeries, but he's never been on the receiving end of one! lol That in and of itself will either make you or break you. Recovery from something so major is no easy task and you HAVE to be tough if you want to get through it. (On top of that, I've had to endure many other enormous obstacles as well. All of which served to "toughen" me up.) At any rate, it takes a tuffy to get through joint replacement and you sure can't be a quitter! ;D It's kind of like childbirth, once you get started, there's no turning back! lol

You are one tough lady! I guess the thing that unerved me is that my OS said I couldn't expect much more improvement after a year. I hope he's wrong. I'm glad to hear you are still improving, for your sake and because that may mean I'll continue to get better too.

I guess that could be the case. I would think that it would be determined case by case. In my case, the knee functionality is improving due to using it and regaining muscle. As far as the mechanics of it, no, I wouldn't think it would change for the better after a year has gone by. I have gained strength and mobility, but I lost so much prior to having the surgery that it's going to take a long time to get it to where it needs to be. The first six months, I focused on post-op rehab, since then it has all been about strength, and it continues to be about strengthening.

The mechanics of my op knee are fine. I have excellent range of motion. It's just that it is still very sore-soft tissue healing. And the pain travels up my thigh and I get hip and lower back spasms when I walk much.I'm doing water exercises and that seems to help.

You're right. there's no turning back. So let's keep up the strenghening.

I still have quite a bit of soreness on occasion. I can go for weeks and never feel a twinge, then bam! here come the aches and pains. But, I think it might have to do with the weather changes. We had a long drought here in Oklahoma, and during that time, my knee was fine. Now that the rain and cold are back, OUCH! But it is STILL preferable to the pre-operative pain I suffered for so long. Anything is better than feeling like I have huge shards of glass in my knee! ;D I'm lovin my knee more and more every day and if I had it to do all over again, I WOULD!

I went to the Houston Rockets vs The New Orleans OKC Hornets tonight and did a LOT of walking and stair climbing and strengthwise, I did great! I don't have to "one-step" it anymore, you know... up with the "good" leg, the bring the "bad" one to the same step...all the way up or down.. I can do stairs like normal people as long as I have railing to hold onto. I will admit, I am in quite a bit of pain, but I have rheumatic issues which play more of a part in my pain than anything else. The PFR knee is doing great and I'm very proud of all the progress I've made. My doctor is proud too! ;D

I can climb stairs like a "normal" person too, holding the railing. So that's all good for both of us. Yes, the weather really affects me too. In the spring and the fall when the weather is changing, I really feel it. When it stabilizes, I'm much better. Daffodils are finally popping up here with little yellow buds. :D

My Os has just referred me to an OS who does PF replacements. I have a chondral defect behind the patella and patella baja. The rest of my knee is clean. I have some level of pain all the time, but I keep it pretty tolerable by staying off my legs. I'm tired of avoiding walking. I'm tired of my knee hurting when I bend it. My gait is off and I walk with a limp. I don't want to run a marathon, but I'd love to be able to walk without pain and live a more normal life.

I'll be reading through the posts and trying to find more information before I have my appointment. Just in general, though, are you glad you had the surgery? Are there any really good questions I should ask the OS? Thanks for your help.

I know my knee would be a lot worse without the surgery though it isn't a panacea. I still have soreness -- and pain if I walk a lot. Part of that is my other patella is 70% gone. Every case is different and good PT makes a real difference.

Let us know what your OS has to say. Ask him which prosthesis he uses. I have the Avon which is good. The Dupuy I hear is also good. But there is another one that has lawsuits against it for failing. I can't recall the name but google the one he says he uses to find out.

Thanks, Nancy. I'll ask him about the prosthesis. And I know I would have excellent PT. I was at this facility for my last PT, and they knew more and did a better job than any other of the other PTs I had before. Also, they are in the same facility as the doctors, so they can check with the doctors and the doctors can check in on you anytime it is needed.

I see the last posting here was around Easter 2006. Well, now it's almost Halloween and guess what? I'M DOING GREAT! I did have to have arthroscopy on my non PFR knee and my PFR knee carried me through it! I do need to have it done to the other knee....and I am not afraid of it failing, I'm just not looking forward to the rehab!!! I'm putting it off as long as I can. I did find out recently that I definitely have Rheumatoid Arthritis, so that is probably what is causing me (at such a young age) to need all of this crap. But, what can ya do but play the hand that's dealt to ya.Anyhoo, I've got a positive attitude and at least one great knee to carry me through! :-)Ya'll take care now, ya hear?!Elizabeth :-*